"Our challenge is to make sure that every drop of water, every dollar invested in water supply and sanitation, and every idea related to water management is put to best use," Environment Minister Lim Swee Say said.

The concerted drive toward self-sufficiency in the basic product is a high government priority in the tiny island nation that imports half of its water from Malaysia, its northern neighbor.

The liquid dependence has contributed to the long-standing belief among Singapore's leaders that the city-state is vulnerable, and that it should tap fresh sources to try and meet its own water requirements.

Singapore started recycling its waste water into drinkable water on a large scale last year, dubbing the output "NEWater."

Lim said two recycling plants were opened last year, and the third was inaugurated Friday, taking daily combined output to 76 million liters.

A fourth NEWater plant will be completed in two years, he said.

"In 2006, the total production of NEWater will exceed 10% of our total daily water demands," Lim said.

The reclaimed water is supplied to factories to meet industrial needs, and mixed with freshwater reservoirs that feed the city-state's water-supply network.

Singapore has also announced plans to reclaim pure water from the sea with a desalinization plant.

Lim said engineers will construct a barrage in the south of the island to form a new rainwater reservoir, which will complement the half-dozen already in use.

Ministers have campaigned hard to dispel the idea that NEWater is less than clean because of its origins.

Relations between water-supplier Malaysia and Singapore have been strained many times in recent decades, and the two have bickered for years about the price that the city-state pays for the essential flow.

-Edited by Sharon Vong

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