Singapore's ability to make waste water potable using the latest technology, which could end its dependence on Malaysia for the precious commodity, was the dominant theme in advanced celebrations to mark the island's birthday on Aug. 9.
In dinner parties held across the Southeast Asian state Saturday night, ministers stressed the significance of the country's success in producing drinkable water called "Newater" from waste water.
"It is a major breakthrough for Singapore, something we only dreamed about until recently," said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
"It removes a fundamental source of insecurity for Singaporeans, which is our dependence on Malaysia from water," he said.
Singapore is currently reliant on Malaysia for half of its water supply.
An international panel of experts recently certified the recycled waste water as safe to drink.
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