1. Heritage Deck - Heritage Panels
2. Heritage Deck - Viewing Gallery
3. Fishing Jetty
4. Litter Trap
5i. Rain Garden
5ii. Bioretention Swales
We learnt many new things as we followed the trail. Each station taught us something new that had never crossed our minds before.
In the beginning, we learnt some information about the reservoirs in Singapore. Such as 7000 km of the total land area in Singapore forms our water catchment areas! We never knew that the reservoirs and such took up so much space!
At the heritage deck and viewing panels, we learnt that Lower Seletar Reservoir's name used to be Selita, Sletar or Salaeta which means 'straits' in Melaka. We also learnt that traders used to come to Lower Seletar Reservoir to trade for tobacco and kerosene. Traders used to grow gambier and pepper before they started trading kerosene and tobacco.
We also learnt the differences of Lower Seletar Reservoir now and then. In the past, there was a lower population density while there is a higher population density now. The activities before were fishing and farming while now they are a reservoir and a country club. The form of transport used to be boats and sampans but in the present, they are kayaking and dragon boats. The place also has a ship-shaped sculpture in remembrance of the trading activities carried out here in the past.
Of course, there were similarities between the now and then. The river and its reservoirs still continue to provide recreational and community spaces for people of all ages. Now, we know so much more about the history of Lower Seletar Reservoir and what people used to do there a long time ago.
At the Fishing Jetty, we were given a chance to test the quality of the water. We threw a pail in and collected some water that we could observe and smell. We saw that there were a bit of soil particles in the water but nothing on the surface and there was no smell from the water. This showed that the water was quite clean but of course it cannot be completely dirt free.
We tested the water and it was green or yellow, but considerably clear. This meant that there was probably algae suspended in water or algal bloom, which is usually caused by high nutrients in the water, fertilisers of organic matter.
Next, we tested the temperature of the water; 32 degrees celsius. It is within the acceptable range because Singapore is normally quite hot and humid.
Then we tested the dissolved oxygen level of the water. The reading was 4PPM which is again within the acceptable range.
We tested the turbidity next of which the result was that the water is slightly turbid, 40 JTU. Turbidity is how murky the water is, which affects how much light can penetrate through the water. This would affect aquatic life. For example, if the water is too murky, plants will not get enough sunlight to make food and eventually die, resulting in deaths of marine animals that eat these plants for survival and bacteria that pollute the water. The water will then be too polluted for consumption or usage.
Lastly, we tested the pH of the water. The reading was 7-8 which meant that the pH level of the water is neutral.
This all indicates that the water in Lower Seletar Reservoir is relatively clean. However, we are still unable to drink the water as it still contains bacteria and impurities as they come from drains and canals.
At the canal near the wooden bridge, we learnt that the water in Lower Seletar Reservoir mainly comes from surrounding housing estates such as Yishun and Khatib.
The litter trap placed at the mouth of the canal is to remove the litter from the water before it enters the reservoir. This reduces pollution and ensures the cleanliness of the water in the reservoir. This is also why it is placed at the mouth of the canal.
Some of the pollutants trapped in the litter trap were leaves and sticks from trees, wrappers, tissue and plastic bags which all come from us humans. The leaves and sticks introduce bacteria into the water when decomposing, while the other litters chokes marine life that help clear algae. All this causes the water to become dirty and unsafe.
At the rain garden, we found out that it is actually a habitat for many insects and birds. Such as spiders, crickets, wasps, ants and so on.
The rain garden is an essential part of the reservoir as it prevents water pollution and excess use of fertilisers which cause algae bloom. The plants act as filters and absorbs excess nutrients such as Phosphorus and Nitrates. This in turn prevents algae bloom so marine lives can survive.
This trail has showed us how much the government does to provide clean and safe water for us. However, there is only so much the government can do to keep the waters clean. It all depends on us; the public. Each one of us is responsible for keeping water in reservoirs clean. You can help too! Here are some suggestions:
1. Pick up litter. Singapore is not a litter free country, you yourself know that you have littered before too. But just one piece of tissue paper or sweet wrapper can go a long way. You can help by picking up litter whenever you see some. Be it in the drain, on the floor or whatever, you can simply bend down, pick it up and throw it away. It is not a difficult task, and there is certainly a dustbin around nearby.
2. Reprimand people who litter. Although this may sound harsh, please remind people to throw away their rubbish properly if you ever see them litter. That way, the person you reminded would remember to do so in future and would even remind others to do the same.
3. Throw away your own rubbish. Even though this sounds obvious, there are still some people out there who can remind others to discard rubbish properly, and picks up others' litter, but still constantly litters. So, you yourself should make sure to get rid of your rubbish the right way, into the dustbin.
4. When kayaking, do not spit or introduce other dirty, unwanted items into the water to prevent water pollution.
5. Use fake baits instead of live baits as live baits probably contain more bacteria that will dirty the water that is meant for our consumption and usage. Although fake baits probably would not attract that many fish quickly, but for the sake of ourselves, let us not be selfish, think about yourself if not others. Would you want to drink water that has been contaminated with live bait? Switch to using fake baits today!
6. After catching a fish, kindly return the fish to the water! Fish play a very important part in keeping the waters clean by eating up bacteria like algae and moss. If you do not want to wash your cars with algae, I would advise you to not bring home the fish! Also, the fish may be poisonous. If you bring them home to cook and eat, your health may be at risk!
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| Panels showing the history of Lower Seletar Reservoir |
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| A dragon boat race near the ship-looking sculpture |
At the Fishing Jetty, we were given a chance to test the quality of the water. We threw a pail in and collected some water that we could observe and smell. We saw that there were a bit of soil particles in the water but nothing on the surface and there was no smell from the water. This showed that the water was quite clean but of course it cannot be completely dirt free.
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| view from fishing jetty |
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| the fishing jetty |
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| benches are provided, allowing visitors to relax while enjoying the beautiful scenery or sit comfortably to fish |
Next, we tested the temperature of the water; 32 degrees celsius. It is within the acceptable range because Singapore is normally quite hot and humid.
We tested the turbidity next of which the result was that the water is slightly turbid, 40 JTU. Turbidity is how murky the water is, which affects how much light can penetrate through the water. This would affect aquatic life. For example, if the water is too murky, plants will not get enough sunlight to make food and eventually die, resulting in deaths of marine animals that eat these plants for survival and bacteria that pollute the water. The water will then be too polluted for consumption or usage.
Lastly, we tested the pH of the water. The reading was 7-8 which meant that the pH level of the water is neutral.
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| apparatus that helped us measure the dissolved oxygen level, pH level and turbidity of the water |
At the canal near the wooden bridge, we learnt that the water in Lower Seletar Reservoir mainly comes from surrounding housing estates such as Yishun and Khatib.
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| the canal |
Some of the pollutants trapped in the litter trap were leaves and sticks from trees, wrappers, tissue and plastic bags which all come from us humans. The leaves and sticks introduce bacteria into the water when decomposing, while the other litters chokes marine life that help clear algae. All this causes the water to become dirty and unsafe.
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| a brief introduction of the litter trap |
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| the litter trap |
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| a spider |
This trail has showed us how much the government does to provide clean and safe water for us. However, there is only so much the government can do to keep the waters clean. It all depends on us; the public. Each one of us is responsible for keeping water in reservoirs clean. You can help too! Here are some suggestions:
1. Pick up litter. Singapore is not a litter free country, you yourself know that you have littered before too. But just one piece of tissue paper or sweet wrapper can go a long way. You can help by picking up litter whenever you see some. Be it in the drain, on the floor or whatever, you can simply bend down, pick it up and throw it away. It is not a difficult task, and there is certainly a dustbin around nearby.
2. Reprimand people who litter. Although this may sound harsh, please remind people to throw away their rubbish properly if you ever see them litter. That way, the person you reminded would remember to do so in future and would even remind others to do the same.
3. Throw away your own rubbish. Even though this sounds obvious, there are still some people out there who can remind others to discard rubbish properly, and picks up others' litter, but still constantly litters. So, you yourself should make sure to get rid of your rubbish the right way, into the dustbin.
4. When kayaking, do not spit or introduce other dirty, unwanted items into the water to prevent water pollution.
5. Use fake baits instead of live baits as live baits probably contain more bacteria that will dirty the water that is meant for our consumption and usage. Although fake baits probably would not attract that many fish quickly, but for the sake of ourselves, let us not be selfish, think about yourself if not others. Would you want to drink water that has been contaminated with live bait? Switch to using fake baits today!
6. After catching a fish, kindly return the fish to the water! Fish play a very important part in keeping the waters clean by eating up bacteria like algae and moss. If you do not want to wash your cars with algae, I would advise you to not bring home the fish! Also, the fish may be poisonous. If you bring them home to cook and eat, your health may be at risk!
