Marina Barrage

First conceptualised in 1987 by then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew to help achieve greater self-sufficiency for the country's water needs, the barrage began construction on 22 March 2005, and was officially opened on 31 October 2008 as Singapore's fifteenth reservoir, the Marina Reservoir.

It provides water storage, flood control and recreation. It won a Superior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in 2009. It also turned the previously salt water Marina Bay into fresh water for the first time in its history.

Purpose

The S$3 billion project, with $226 million for the structure itself, turned Marina Bay and Kallang Basin into a new downtown freshwater Marina Reservoir. It provides water supply, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction. After its opening, the Marina Barrage quickly became a tourist attraction not long after.

By keeping out seawater, the barrage formed Singapore's 15th reservoir and first reservoir in the city. Marina Reservoir, together with the future Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs, increased Singapore's water catchment areas by one-sixth of Singapore's total land area.

Marina Barrage also acts as a tidal barrier to keep seawater out, helping to alleviate flooding in high-risk low-lying areas of the downtown districts such as Chinatown, Jalan Besar and Geylang.

When it rains heavily during low-tide, the barrage's crest gates will be lowered to release excess water from the coastal reservoir into the sea. If heavy rain falls during high-tide, the crest gates remain closed and giant drainage pumps are activated to pump excess water out to sea.

As the water in the Marina Basin is unaffected by the tides, the water level will be kept constant, making it ideal for all kinds of recreational activities such as boating, windsurfing, kayaking and dragonboating.