Singapore to upgrade coastal monitoring sensors to measure radioactivity, waves

Singapore's coastal monitoring network, which has been keeping tabs on water quality around the country for over 10 years, will be upgraded to include sensors that can measure radioactivity as well as wave parameters, The Straits Times has learnt.

- Chin Hui Shan

The current Neptune system monitors the waters around Singapore so that the authorities can respond more quickly to water pollution incidents, including oil spills, and other environmental risks like algae blooms.

In response to queries from ST, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it is "timely to review and expand the monitoring capabilities" to measure not only the key physical, chemical and biological water quality parameters, but also other parameters such as radioactivity and hydrology.

Fully implemented in August 2014, the current system comprises a network of eight buoy-based monitoring stations located along the Singapore Strait and Strait of Johor. It is now in its 11th year of operation.

Besides monitoring for pollution, the system is put in place for long-term water quality trend analysis and early warning for potential changes in water quality.

Each buoy functions as an on-site chemistry laboratory, continuously testing water quality and transmitting real-time results wirelessly to NEA.

It monitors a range of water quality, meteorological and hydrological parameters, such as the amount of dissolved oxygen, wind direction and water current speed.

But with the upgrade, the new sensors will monitor significant wave height and wave period – which is the time taken for one wave cycle to be completed – to support studies on the potential impact of climate change on local wave conditions, said NEA.