Singapore will proceed with the indirect use of treated waste water as an additional source of drinking water from February, 2003 (Sep. 23)

Singapore has long been troubled with drinking water shortage, and has exported 50% of water from Malaysia. In order to solve water shortage problem, the Government decided to proceed with the indirect use of "NEWater" as an additional source of drinking water.

"NEWater" is treated used water that has undergone stringent purification and treatment process using advanced dual-membrane (microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies. NEWater would be mixed and blended with reservoir water and then undergo conventional water treatment to produce drinking water. For a start, 2 mgd of NEWater (less than 1% of total daily water consumption) will put into our raw water reservoirs in Feb 2003. The amount will be increased progressively to about 2.5% of total daily water consumption by 2011.

NEWater has been used in California and Washington over 20 years and found to be well within the drinking water standards specified by the US Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization.

French Ministry of Environment announced 2003 budget, 854.2 million Euro

French Ministry for the Protection of Nature and the Environment announced 2003 budget, which is similar to that of 2002. The budget will be spent in pollution prevention (400.7 million Euro), policy implementation (218.4 million Euro), nature protection (120.7 million Euro), and water management (114.4 million Euro).

The size of ozone hole recorded the smallest since 1988 according to NASA and NOAA (Oct. 1, 2002)

The ozone hole over Antarctica is markedly smaller this year than in the last six years, according to Naional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). "Ozone hole", actually an area with thinner than normal ozone, has been measured at 15.6 million square kilometer, which is much smaller than 23.4 million square kilometer that has been measured during September over the past six years.

The researchers from NASA and NOAA analyzed that warmer temperature around the edge of the polar vortex attributed to this phenomenon.