S$120 million service reservoir constructed in Tengah, water capacity equivalent to 22 Olympic-sized pools

A new service reservoir (SR) has been constructed in Tengah, designed to support the water demand of a growing residential and industrial population in the area.

Construction of the reservoir took place between May 2022 and November 2025, said national water agency PUB in a Jun. 16 press release.

It forms part of Singapore's water supply network and will be used to store treated drinking water from PUB's treatment plants before it is piped to homes and businesses.

22 Olympic-sized pools

SRs play an important role in Singapore’s water supply system by acting as a buffer against daily fluctuations in water demand and helping maintain supply during periods of peak usage or unexpected interruptions.

Costing about S$120 million, the Tengah SR comprises two water tanks that can hold a total potable water capacity of about 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The SR was planned to support the projected increase in water demand in Tengah town, said PUB.

The area is expected to house about 42,000 households, as well as businesses in the upcoming Tengah industrial precinct.

Built at the highest point in Tengah, the SR's high location was intended to maintain stable and consistent water pressure across the network, PUB explained.

Improved efficiency and reliability

Potable water would be able to flow to surrounding developments via gravity without the need for additional pumping, which helps improve operational efficiency and saves costs.

The reservoir will be operated through a centralised system that includes real-time monitoring, control of key operational functions and the detection of shifts in demand or supply of water.

Such features would reduce the need for manual intervention while enhancing operational reliability, said PUB.

Tengah SR was constructed by local construction firm Chye Joo Construction Pte Ltd, who won the tender bid.

The circular tanks were built using a slipform construction method, which involved continuous, round-the-clock pouring of concrete to cast seamless tank walls from the ground up with no construction joints.

The first time an SR in Singapore has been built using such a method, it minimises the risk of water leakage and improves the SR's performance.

Seamless integration

According to PUB, the agency worked closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) during the construction of Tengah SR to ensure it was fully integrated into Tengah's overall masterplan.

The design also focused on blending seamlessly into its surroundings, including installing dark brown aluminium façade fins.

PUB also implemented environmental mitigation measures to minimise the construction's impact on the largely forested surrounding habitat.

Among other mitigation measures, wildlife was shepherded prior to site clearance and inspections were conducted for possible nesting areas before trees were felled.

Temporary hoarding was also installed to prevent wildlife from entering the construction worksite.

Tengah SR will join over 10 other service reservoirs, including NEWater service reservoirs, that are currently operated by PUB.

The SR is currently undergoing testing and is expected to be operational by this year.