Critical Reflection

 

During my first week of Effective Communication, Professor Blackstone told us to list down some of our goals for this module in our self-introductory email. One of my goals was to refine my public speaking abilities. Even though I knew I could have done a lot better with my oral presentation, I believed I had worked my hardest to be confident. As I mentioned in my letter, communicating in a large crowd has always been a challenge for me. The oral presentation moved me out of my comfort zone and forced me to confront one of my greatest fears. However, there will always room for improvements. Good communication takes time and effort. For the time being, I will continue to articulate myself while I am with my friends and I see this to hone my public speaking skills, such as speaking confidently and clearly.

Besides, I said that I wanted to develop my writing abilities. I have been subjected to a variety of reports and articles online during the last 12 weeks of Effective Communication. I have started to see how their writing flows and how the writers bring their words into the essay after reading them. To be honest, I am not a big fan of reading. Nevertheless, I spent countless hours on my research to find a suitable article for my summary reader’s response. This helps me to correct grammatical mistakes in my prose and improve the consistency of my sentences. Gradually, I start to develop a reading habit, and now I strive to read one book every week.

For my research project, I managed the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed solutions. Saira, Cheng Quan, and I came from different backgrounds, but we all managed to work towards the same goal; to help one another while improving our individual communication skills. Saira had the most work experience, so she was the one who guided me and Cheng Quan through our research project. There were moments where we had opposing viewpoints, but we were able to discuss and work it out. This allows me to relate to a real-life workplace situation in which we can have disagreements along the way, but if I can communicate effectively with my co-workers, they can respect my point of view and where I am coming from.

When it comes to our presenting skills, usually we will do a mock presentation amongst ourselves and give each other input so that we can learn from our mistakes. This is the opportunity for me to confront my worries and get outside of my comfort zone. I discovered that it is best to make the slides as short as possible. That was to ensure that we could keep the audience focused throughout the presentation. As for writing a technical report, it was critical to be concise and persuasive to keep the report clear to retain stakeholder engagement in the report.

One of the key takeaways I learned from this research project is how to interact closely with individuals I have never worked with before. This is a lesson I will apply in my future career since I will be working with people from diverse backgrounds.

To summarize, I am extremely proud of how my team members accomplished their goals under Professor Blackstone's supervision, and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to him on behalf of them.

Summary Reader Response Draft 4 (Tuas WRP)

In the news release “Tuas Nexus – Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction”, the National Environment Agency (NEA) (2020) claimed that the aim of the “Tuas Nexus” project is to recover any drop of water used in Singapore. The used water solution system is formed by the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). It further explained that Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (Tuas WRP) can receive used water flows from two separate deep tunnels by gravity. One tunnel is used to transport domestic water, the other to convey commercial water of high strength. Sembcorp Architecture and Construction Pte. Ltd was assigned in March 2020 to construct the biosolids treatment facility for the plant. The release stated that by the end of 2021, another seven-building tender valued at more than $1 billion would be launched. Finally, it was reported that Phase 2 of the DTSS project is also listed as consisting 40 km of deep tunnels, 60 km of connection sewers, Tuas WRP, and the NEWater integrated factory. The integration of Tuas WRP is an important step to manage the growing need for clean water, effective space, and cost control, as Singapore's water use is expected to double in the next few decades.

To begin, the consumption of water in Singapore has always been very high compared to many other developed cities. Kog (2020) stated that the future Tuas WRP to be able to be more energy-efficient and double the energy recovery relative to traditional plants while consuming less energy. He also mentioned that with a net process energy utilization goal of 0.1 kWh/m3, 2.5 times smaller than a conventional membrane bioreactor, PUB sees the upcoming Tuas WRP as the most energy-efficient membrane bioreactor (MBR). In my opinion, the experience gained in Singapore over the years proves that it is physically and commercially viable to recycle and conserve water. The article also explained that it was unsuccessful at the beginning due to the high cost and unproven durability of the technology. However, I believe as technology advances each year, the major source of water supply in Singapore improves as well, hence moving closer to water reclamation methods.

Next, there is a growing need for efficient space management in Singapore because of the scarcity of land. Lay et al. (2017) announced that the Integrated Validation Plant (IVP) and the Demonstration Plant are part of a larger initiative to develop advanced technologies that can be applied by conserving space to the forthcoming Tuas WRP as part of Phase 2 of the DTSS project in Singapore, which is expected to be completed by 2024. As a result, the facility would be more energy efficient while taking up less space than traditional water treatment plants.

Finally, Tuas WRP is cost-efficient. Jain (2012) revealed that Tuas WRP will generate enough energy to fuel the facility while also providing excess to the Singapore electrical grid. This would also aid in lowering the cost of energy output for Singapore's consumption. 

To sum up, I am in favour of the construction of Tuas WRP. I agree the project was designed to address several Singapore's most pressing issues, such as rising water use, the growing need for space storage, and the cost of running treatment facilities. Based on the facts and comments in the article and other credible references, the implementation of Tuas WRP is an excellent way to solve the need for wastewater management while retaining space and cost effectiveness.

(579 words) 

References 

Jain, P. (2012). Addressing Delhi’s water supply problems: taking lessons from Singapore’s water management experience.

Kog, Y. C. (2020). Water Reclamation and Reuse in Singapore. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 146(4), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001675

Lay, W., Lim, C., & Lee, Y. (2017). From R&D to application: Membrane bioreactor technology for water reclamation. Water Practice & Technology, 12(1), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2017.008

National Environmental Agency. (2020, September 8). Tuas Nexus - Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction.

https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/tuas-nexus-singapore-s-first-integrated-water-and-solid-waste-treatment-facility-begins-construction

Summary Reader Response Draft 3 (Tuas WRP)

In the news release “Tuas Nexus – Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction”, the National Environment Agency (NEA) (2020) claimed that the aim of the project is to recover any drop of water used. The used water solution system is formed by the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). It further explained that Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (Tuas WRP) can receive used water flows from two separate deep tunnels by gravity. One tunnel is used to transport domestic water, the other to convey commercial water of high strength. Sembcorp Architecture and Construction Pte. Ltd was assigned in March 2020 to construct the biosolids treatment facility for the plant. Hence, by the end of 2021, another seven-building tender valued at more than $1 billion will be launched. Finally, phase 2 of the DTSS project is also listed as, consisting 40 km of deep tunnels, 60 km of connection sewers, Tuas WRP, and the NEWater integrated factory. As the consumption of water in Singapore is expected to double in the next few decades, the Tuas WRP incorporation is an important step to manage the growing need for the efficient disposal of wastewater.

To begin, the consumption of water in Singapore has always been very high. Kog (2020) stated that these innovations will allow the future Tuas WRP to be able to be more energy-efficient and double the energy recovery relative to traditional plants while consuming less energy. With a net process energy utilization goal of 0.1 kWh/m3, 2.5 times smaller than a conventional membrane bioreactor, PUB sees the upcoming Tuas WRP as the most energy-efficient membrane bioreactor (MBR). In my opinion, the experience gained in Singapore over the years proves that it is physically and commercially viable to recycle and conserve water. It also explained that it was unsuccessful at the beginning due to the high cost and unproven durability of the technology. However, I believe as technology advances each year, the major source of water supply in Singapore improves as well, hence moving closer to water reclamation methods.

Next, there is a growing need for efficient space management in Singapore because of the scarcity of land. Lay et al. (2017) announced that the Integrated Validation Plant (IVP) and the Demonstration Plant are part of a larger initiative to develop advanced technologies that can be applied to the forthcoming Tuas WRP as part of Phase 2 of the DTSS project in Singapore, which is expected to be completed by 2024. I strongly agree that the DTSS is an important part of the policy of the PUB to address the long-term water reclamation needs of Singapore as this will accommodate the rising need for water and cope with the effects of climate change. Furthermore, the Tuas WRP is planned to utilize the energy-and space-efficient MBR-RO (reverse osmosis) method for processing NEWater. 

Finally, Tuas WRP is cost-efficient. Jain (2012) revealed that DTSS is used at two large WRPs, Changi WRP at the eastern end and Tuas WRP at the western end of Singapore, to centralize wastewater treatment. The South Tunnel and the North Tunnel are two tunnels that will crisscross the island and connect to these WRPs. Therefore, this centralization leads to larger economies of scale and, reduces the cost of service in the long run.

To sum up, there is a need to continue improving water technology and creative reuse schemes in the future, as the value of water reuse is gaining worldwide awareness to address the water-food-energy nexus in the light of uncertainties and climate change. By improving land use and enhancing energy and resource recovery, PUB is moving towards in developing a more sustainable country.

(607 words) 

References 

Jain, P. (2012). Addressing Delhi’s water supply problems: taking lessons from Singapore’s water management experience.

Kog, Y. C. (2020). Water Reclamation and Reuse in Singapore. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 146(4), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001675

Lay, W., Lim, C., & Lee, Y. (2017). From R&D to application: Membrane bioreactor technology for water reclamation. Water Practice & Technology, 12(1), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2017.008

National Environmental Agency. (2020, September 8). Tuas Nexus - Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction.

https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/tuas-nexus-singapore-s-first-integrated-water-and-solid-waste-treatment-facility-begins-construction

Summary Reader Response Draft 2 (Tuas WRP)

With the news release “Tuas Nexus – Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction”, the National Environment Agency (NEA) (2020) claimed that the aim of the project is to recover any drop of water used. The used water solution system is formed by the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). It further explained that Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (Tuas WRP) can receive used water flows from two separate deep tunnels by gravity. One tunnel is used to transport domestic water, the other to convey commercial water of high strength. Sembcorp Architecture and Construction Pte. Ltd was assigned in March 2020 to construct the biosolids treatment facility for the plant. Hence, by the end of 2021, another seven-building tender valued at more than $1 billion will be launched. Finally, phase 2 of the DTSS project is also listed as, consisting 40 km of deep tunnels, 60 km of connection sewers, Tuas WRP, and the NEWater integrated factory. In a small country like Singapore, NEA has been improving by recycling water in the most efficient manner. I strongly believe that they are moving towards a sustainable and future-proof country.

To begin, the article “Water Reclamation and Reuse in Singapore” (Kog, 2020) stated that these innovations will allow the future Tuas WRP to be able to be more energy-efficient and double the energy recovery relative to traditional plants while consuming less energy. With a net process energy utilization goal of 0.1 kWh/m3, 2.5 times smaller than a conventional membrane bioreactor, PUB sees the upcoming Tuas WRP as the most energy-efficient membrane bioreactor (MBR). In my opinion, the experience gained in Singapore over the years proves that it is physically and commercially viable to recycle and conserve water. It also explained that it was unsuccessful at the beginning due to the high cost and unproven durability of the technology. However, I believe as technology advances each year, the major source of water supply in Singapore improves hence moving closer to water reclamation methods.

Another article “From R&D to application: Membrane bioreactor technology for water reclamation” (Water Practice and Technology, 2017) announced that the Integrated Validation Plant (IVP) and the Demonstration Plant are part of a larger initiative to develop advanced technologies that can be applied to the forthcoming Tuas WRP as part of Phase 2 of the DTSS project in Singapore, which is expected to be completed by 2024. I strongly agree that the DTSS is an important part of the policy of the PUB to address the long-term water reclamation needs of Singapore as this will accommodate the rising need for water and cope with the effects of climate change. Furthermore, the Tuas WRP is planned to utilize the energy-and space-efficient MBR-RO (reverse osmosis) method for processing NEWater. 

In the last article “Addressing Delhi’s water supply problems: taking lessons from Singapore’s water management experience” (P. Jain, 2012) revealed that DTSS is used at two large WRPs, Changi WRP at the eastern end and Tuas WRP at the western end of Singapore, to centralize wastewater treatment. The South Tunnel and the North Tunnel are two tunnels that will crisscross the island and connect to these WRPs. Therefore, this centralization leads to larger economies of scale and, in the long run, reduces the cost of service.

To sum up, the Singapore NEWater progress story represents the overall long-term growth policy for Singapore. There is a need to continue improving water technology and creative reuse schemes in the future, as the value of water reuse is gaining worldwide awareness to address the water-food-energy nexus in the light of uncertainties and climate change. By improving land use and enhancing energy and resource recovery, I feel that the path PUB is moving towards will help to develop a more environmentally friendly country.

References: 
1) National Environmental Agency (NEA). (2020, September 8th). Tuas Nexus - Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction.
https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/tuas-nexus-singapore-s-first-integrated-water-and-solid-waste-treatment-facility-begins-construction

2) Kog. Y. (2020, April 4th). Water Reclamation and Reuse in Singapore.

https://ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/%28ASCE%29EE.1943-7870.0001675?casa_token=0JcOv2NrdG0AAAAA%3AcdqwFZIctlp0GmQHy729cjqyQzcWyG_UVaXsoSFmyb3o99BVm0kZ42ejjb2IUI1g-TO230O4aITxwg#tabs

3) Water Practice and Technology. (2017, March 1st). From R&D to application: Membrane bioreactor technology for water reclamation.

https://iwaponline.com/wpt/article/12/1/12/20764/From-R-amp-D-to-application-membrane-bioreactor

4) P. Jain. (2012). Addressing Delhi’s water supply problems: taking lessons from Singapore’s water management experience.

https://www.academia.edu/4077714/Addressing_Delhi_s_water_supply_problems_taking_lessons_from_Singapore_s_water_management_experience

Summary Reader Response Draft 1 (Tuas WRP)

With the news release “Tuas Nexus – Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction”, the National Environment Agency (NEA) (2020) claimed that the aim of the project is to recover any drop of water used. The used water solution system is formed by the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). It further explained that Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (Tuas WRP) can receive used water flows from two separate deep tunnels by gravity. One tunnel is used to transport domestic water, the other to convey commercial water of high strength. Sembcorp Architecture and Construction Pte. Ltd was assigned in March 2020 to construct the biosolids treatment facility for the plant. Hence, by the end of 2021, another seven-building tender valued at more than $1 billion will be launched. Finally, phase 2 of the DTSS project is also listed as, consisting 40 km of deep tunnels, 60 km of connection sewers, Tuas WRP, and the NEWater integrated factory. In a small country like Singapore, NEA has been improving by recycling water in the most efficient manner. I strongly believe that they are moving towards a sustainable and future-proof country.

To begin, the article “Water Reclamation and Reuse in Singapore” (Kog, 2020) stated that these innovations will allow the future Tuas WRP to be able to be more energy-efficient and double the energy recovery relative to traditional plants while consuming less energy. With a net process energy utilization goal of 0.1 kWh/m3, 2.5 times smaller than a conventional membrane bioreactor, PUB sees the upcoming Tuas WRP as the most energy-efficient membrane bioreactor (MBR). In my opinion, the experience gained in Singapore over the years proves that it is physically and commercially viable to recycle and conserve water. It also explained that it was unsuccessful at the beginning due to the high cost and unproven durability of the technology. However, as technology advances each year, the major source of water supply in Singapore improves and is moving closer to water reclamation methods.

Another article “From R&D to application: Membrane bioreactor technology for water reclamation” (Water Practice and Technology, 2017) announced that the Integrated Validation Plant (IVP) and the Demonstration Plant are part of a larger initiative to develop advanced technologies that can be applied to the forthcoming Tuas WRP as part of Phase 2 of the DTSS project in Singapore, which is expected to be completed by 2024. The DTSS is an important part of the policy of the PUB to address the long-term water reclamation needs of Singapore. Furthermore, the Tuas WRP is planned to utilize the energy-and space-efficient MBR-RO (reverse osmosis) method for processing NEWater. 

In the last article “Addressing Delhi’s water supply problems: taking lessons from Singapore’s water management experience” (P. Jain, 2012) revealed that DTSS is used at two large WRPs, Changi WRP at the eastern end and Tuas WRP at the western end of Singapore, to centralize wastewater treatment. The South Tunnel and the North Tunnel are two tunnels that will crisscross the island and connect to these WRPs. Therefore, this centralization leads to larger economies of scale and, in the long run, reduces the cost of service.

To sum up, the Singapore NEWater progress story represents the overall long-term growth policy for Singapore. There is a need to continue improving water technology and creative reuse schemes in the future, as the value of water reuse is gaining worldwide awareness to address the water-food-energy nexus in the light of uncertainties and climate change. By improving land use and enhancing energy and resource recovery, I feel that the path PUB is moving towards will help to develop a more environmentally friendly country.

References: 
1) National Environmental Agency (NEA). (2020, September 8th). Tuas Nexus - Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction.
https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/tuas-nexus-singapore-s-first-integrated-water-and-solid-waste-treatment-facility-begins-construction

2) Kog. Y. (2020, April 4th). Water Reclamation and Reuse in Singapore.
https://ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/%28ASCE%29EE.1943-7870.0001675?casa_token=0JcOv2NrdG0AAAAA%3AcdqwFZIctlp0GmQHy729cjqyQzcWyG_UVaXsoSFmyb3o99BVm0kZ42ejjb2IUI1g-TO230O4aITxwg#tabs

3) Water Practice and Technology. (2017, March 1st). From R&D to application: Membrane bioreactor technology for water reclamation.
https://iwaponline.com/wpt/article/12/1/12/20764/From-R-amp-D-to-application-membrane-bioreactor

4) P. Jain. (2012). Addressing Delhi’s water supply problems: taking lessons from Singapore’s water management experience.

https://www.academia.edu/4077714/Addressing_Delhi_s_water_supply_problems_taking_lessons_from_Singapore_s_water_management_experience

Summary Draft 2 (Tuas WRP)

With the news release “Tuas Nexus – Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction”, the National Environment Agency (NEA) (2020) claimed that the aim of the project is to recover any drop of water used. The used water solution system is formed by the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). It further explained that Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (Tuas WRP) can receive used water flows from two separate deep tunnels by gravity. One tunnel is used to transport domestic water, the other to convey commercial water of high strength. Sembcorp Architecture and Construction Pte. Ltd was assigned in March 2020 to construct the biosolids treatment facility for the plant. Hence, by the end of 2021, another seven-building tender valued at more than $1 billion will be launched. Finally, phase 2 of the DTSS project is also listed as, consisting 40 km of deep tunnels, 60 km of connection sewers, Tuas WRP, and the NEWater integrated factory. 

In a small country like Singapore, NEA has been improving by recycling water in the most efficient manner. I strongly believe that they are moving towards a sustainable and future-proof country.

Reference: 

National Environmental Agency (NEA). (2020, September 8th). Tuas Nexus - Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction.

https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/tuas-nexus-singapore-s-first-integrated-water-and-solid-waste-treatment-facility-begins-construction

Summary Draft 1 (Tuas WRP)

With the article “Tuas Nexus – Singapore’s First Integrated Water and Solid Waste Treatment Facility Begins Construction”, the National Environment Agency (NEA) (2020) revealed that the Tuas Waste Reclamation Plant (WRP) will be built by 2025. Used water will be channeled underground from households and industries to the WRP via two different tunnels. The NEA further disclosed that the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) will be established by 2028. Waste from various sources will be processed to achieve “higher resource and energy recovery” at a lower environmental and land cost. Collected household recyclables will abundantly be sorted due to reduction in costs and cutting-edge automation technology. Moreover, the organic materials separated from the inorganic ones in food waste will be transformed into slurry. The combined breakdown of the slurry with used water sludge at the WRP will boost the total plant thermal efficiency and power generation. Finally, the IMWF will also treat dewatered sludge and incinerable waste.