Inspired by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s efforts to clean up the Singapore River and Kallang Basin in the 1970s, the initial focus of Waterways Watch Society’s environmental cause was to keep Singapore’s waterways clean and safe for all to enjoy by organising voluntary clean-up patrols on the weekends. Over the past two decades, our mission has broadened beyond our clean-up patrols to include providing environmental educational programmes to spread awareness on the importance of keeping our waterways clean and safe and rally individuals to do their part for our environment.
After being appointed to set up a society to help monitor and protect the cleaned-up Singapore River and Kallang Basin by the Government Parliamentary Committee (Environment) which he was the youngest member of in 1997, Mr Eugene Heng founded Waterways Watch Society (WWS) with just 27 members.
WWS was officially registered as an approved Charity under the Charities Act
WWS broadened its cause to include promoting environmental education and awareness. The society introduced its very first environmental educational programmes – River Monster and Camp Enviro-Awareness. Over the years, WWS has expanded and diversified our environmental educational programmes to include educational talks, learning trails and waterway clean-ups on different modes for all ages to participate and enjoy.
With the completion and opening of Marina Barrage, Marina Bay and Kallang Basin are transformed to Marina Reservoir, Singapore’s 15th and First City Reservoir. Our outreach efforts on water sustainability and clean-up efforts in the area become increasingly important to ensure this new source of our water supply and lifestyle attraction is clean and safe for all to enjoy.
Participation in clean and green week 1998