NHB to assess Bukit Timah Waterworks’ national significance

135-year-old facility was nation’s first water treatment plant, helped ease reliance on wells

- Ng Keng Gene Correspondent

Bukit Timah Waterworks — Singapore’s first water treatment plant — is set to be assessed for its national significance and heritage value, as the authorities decide what to do next with the facility that is no longer in active use.

Built and opened in 1891 — and subsequently upgraded over the years — the facility contains a subterranean old clear water tank, which has magnificent brick columns and arches that have been seen by few.

In 2020, then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that national water agency PUB had plans to convert the old clear water tank into an education centre and exhibition space.

This was assessed in a PUB-commissioned study that was conducted between 2020 and 2022, and the agency has mooted turning it into a “potential world-class water museum”, which could provide a “multi-sensory underground water experience”.

Now, the National Heritage Board (NHB) — the public agency that advises on the preservation and maintenance of national monuments — is set to commission more studies on the site. These are expected to include a heritage baseline study and an assessment of the condition of the facility’s buildings.

These studies seek to “determine the best approach to protect and commemorate its heritage value while optimising land use and long-term sustainability”, said a tender published by the NHB.

Generally, heritage baseline studies involve researching and documenting the history and heritage significance of existing buildings, structures and settings within a site.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, PUB and NHB said on July 1 that the various studies, which include PUB’s earlier study, will inform potential future uses of the site.