OUR HISTORY & ACHIEVEMENTS
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.
1998
Founding of WWS
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.
1999
Officially registered as an NGO
WWS was officially registered as a non-profit society and occupied the disused space under Nicoll Highway Merdeka Bridge, located within the Kallang Riverside Park as its main office. Volunteers of WWS started to conduct boat patrols within the Kallang Basin on Sundays
2000
Officially registered as a Charity
WWS was officially registered as an approved Charity under the Charities Act
2005
Promoting environmental educational programmes
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.
Clean-up Patrols on Bicycle
WWS expanded the mode of our environmental clean-up patrols to include bicycle
2006
President’s Award for the Environment 2006
Awarded the inaugural President’s Award for the Environment 2006
2007
PUB Honorary Award
Awarded PUB’s Watermark Honorary Award 2007
2008
Singapore’s 15th and First City Reservoir
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.
2009
Clean-up Patrols on Kayaks
WWS launched environmental clean-up patrol on kayaks
2010
Garden by the Waters
WWS started its own Community in Bloom Garden
Awards & Government Endorsement
PRESIDENT'S AWARD
PUB Honourary Award
GPC
Participation in clean and green week 1998
ENDORSEMENT FROM PUB
