Singapore first Asian country to bag International Water Association award

HDB's Punggol Waterway project won the Global Superior Achievement Award, the highest honor given by IWA.

In a release, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) has won the Global Superior Achievement Award for the Punggol Waterway project. This is the highest honour conferred by the International Water Association (IWA) for the most outstanding project in all categories. It is also the first time an Asian country has clinched this prestigious award since its inception in 2006. The previous top winning projects were from the United States and Australia.

Besides this, HDB’s Punggol Waterway also clinched the Global Grand Winner in the planning category. Thirteen prizes were given out for 6 different categories. The award ceremony will be held in Busan, Korea, in conjunction with the eighth IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition on 19 Sep 2012.

On winning this award, HDB’s Deputy CEO (Building) Mr Sng Cheng Keh said, “This is not just a big win for HDB. It is also a proud moment for Singapore, to be the first and only Asian country to have won the IWA’s highest award. As the largest developer in Singapore, HDB has the responsibility to lead the way in good, sustainable development practices. This award for Punggol Waterway is an affirmation of our commitment.”

The International Water Association (IWA) Project Innovation Award (PIA) was established in 2006 to recognise excellence and innovation in water engineering projects all over the globe. Held once every two years, the Award programme supports IWA’s goal to get water professionals worldwide connected and lead the development of effective and sustainable approaches to water management.

Projects vying for the top Global Superior Achievement Award were judged based on the following criteria: excellence in water engineering; originality and innovative use of technology; the future value it brings to the engineering profession; the social, economic and sustainable design considerations; and the complexity of the situation.