ABSTRACT
Arguments regarding water supply and consumption range from the liberal concept that access to wholesome water of sufficient quantity and quality is a basic human right and one of the most fundamental conditions for human development (Gleick 2000), to that of water as a resource that should be charged at a cost that reflects its true worth. In Singapore, while the need to make water inexpensive for everyone is important, it is equally important that water supply be judiciously managed to ensure effective use and minimal wastage. Here, available water is limited and dependence on foreign sources is becoming uncertain. Greater independence from foreign sources means that production of water domestically will have to be approached through unconventional methods and at higher costs, and therefore the application of market principles is no longer an option but a necessity. Thus the need to pay careful attention to this aspect of water as a socioeconomic good is nowhere greater than in this island republic.
