Singapore's tap water safe to drink despite haze, says Grace Fu

SINGAPORE: Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu reassured the public on Saturday (Oct 24) that Singapore's tap water remained safe to drink despite the haze, following the circulation of videos showing blackish rainwater on social media.

In a video filmed at national water agency PUB’s water quality laboratory, Ms Fu said rainwater collected during hazy conditions can be more acidic and have higher levels of particles and organic matter.

However, rainwater in Singapore’s reservoirs goes through several stages of treatment to remove dirt, tiny particles and other impurities, she said.

“Our water treatment processes can filter out particles up to 100 times smaller than PM2.5,” she said.

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, and is usually the dominant particle during haze episodes in Singapore.

“Rest assured that the PM2.5 haze particles will be removed during this comprehensive treatment process,” said Ms Fu.

She cautioned against using rainwater for drinking, cooking or personal hygiene.

“During this haze period, PUB has also stepped up checks on our water quality as added precautions,” said Ms Fu, adding that the tests found no unusual changes in Singapore’s treated water quality.

“While the blackish water seems worrying, our tap water remains clean and safe to drink,” she said.