Singapore is considered as a water-scarce country, not because there is not enough rainfall, but because the limited amount of land area where rainfall can be stored. Singapore imports most of its water from Malaysia. This water is transported through three large pipelines that cross the bridge between Malaysia and Singapore. This agreement between Malaysia and Singapore is extremely important for the Singaporeans, because it provides a long-term security of water, till 2061. Besides importing water, Singapore successfully collects all wastewater and has drainage systems to facilitate wastewater reuse on a large scale. The country managed to decrease the water consumption between 1995 and 2005, as shown in the table below.

Domestic water consumption in Singapore, 1995-2005 (Tortajada, 2006)

In conclusion, Singapore has successfully implemented water management. They found the right balances between:

• Water quantity and water quality
• Water supply and demand
• Public sector and private sector participation
• Efficiency and equity
• Internal capacities and reliance on external sources