WATER REDUCTION STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE

Managing our water supply is critical as our core activities are water-intensive and highly dependent on a reliable supply of water. CDL adopts a holistic approach in maintaining and enhancing the efficiency, resilience, desirability and value of our assets with sound water management practices. This allows us to deliver a reliable supply of water and cost savings to our homeowners and tenants.

Within our managed buildings, CDL draws both potable and NEWater (for non-potable use) from PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency’s utility network, for building operations and maintenance activities. For commercial buildings, water is utilised for cooling towers, toilets, pantries, water features, irrigation and washing activities. At our construction sites, potable water is used mostly by our contractors for sanitation purposes.

Note:
• All potable water withdrawal comes from a single third-party water source supplied by PUB. The breakdown of water sources is based on PUB’s Our Water, Our Future report.
• Based on PUB’s Our Water, Our Future report, all potable water and NEWater are categorised as freshwater with Total Dissolved Solids levels of ≤1,000 mg/L.
• Based on WRI’s Technical Note on Aqueduct Projected Water Stress Country Rankings, the entire area of Singapore is identified to be of high physical risk. The physical risk tool identifies areas of concern exposed to water risks (e.g. droughts or floods) that may impact short- or long-term water availability. As such, all water withdrawal is from water stress areas.

Lifecycle Approach of Water Management

As part of our robust water management strategy, CDL focuses on effective management of water quality and usage across every project’s development and management lifecycle stages.

Stage in Project Lifecycle Key Water Management Initiatives Benefits
Design Incorporate water-efficient fittings and fixtures Reduce water usage
Use recycled water and drought-resistant plants for landscaping
Harvest rainwater for landscape irrigation
Incorporate PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Design Guidelines to implement environmentally sustainable features Retain and control stormwater runoff to minimise flooding risk; treat stormwater runoff to reduce impurities discharged into water systems
Construction Install self-closing taps where applicable Reduce water usage
Collect rainwater for washing wheels of vehicles on-site
Install water recycling systems for site cleaning
Install silty water treatment system Prevent silty water from being discharged into water systems
Operation of Assets Conduct routine checks on pipes, taps, urinal, and WC flush systems Prevent water wastage due to leaks or over-sensitive sensors
Holistically incorporate water-efficient fixtures and fittings, e.g. flow regulators, self-closing taps Reduce water usage
Use NEWater for operations that do not require potable water Reduce reliance on potable water

Water Reduction Initiatives

CDL monitors water consumption on a monthly and annual basis to detect any anomalies in water usage that may require attention and identify buildings that may be heavy water consumers, respectively. To reduce reliance on potable water, CDL uses NEWater for operations, where possible.

To date, 10 out of 11 CDL managed buildings (92% of our building portfolio) have been certified as “Water-Efficient Buildings” by PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency for outstanding water conservation efforts. Recognising that water conservation is a shared responsibility, CDL engages our tenants and homebuyers through initiatives such as our Green Lease Partnership Programme and Green Living Guide. These initiatives promote good water conservation practices that complement CDL’s water-efficient design and features in our buildings.

Key Water Conservation Initiatives in 2022

Initiative Business Unit Savings
Water conserved from construction sites Property Development 44,652 m3 equivalent to almost S$123,000* in savings
Use of NEWater instead of potable water Asset Management Use of 55,013 m3 of NEWater, equivalent to 22.6% of the total water used and more than S$22,500** saved as compared to using potable water
* Water tariffs at S$2.74 per m3 (inclusive of tariff, water conservation tax and waterborne fee). NEWater tariffs at S$2.33 per m3 (inclusive of tariff and waterborne fee). Figures are before GST. For the full list of water prices, please visit PUB’s website.
** Conserved water quantity is estimated using the total water use intensity for completed projects in the reporting year against the water use intensity target of 1.72 m3/m2.

Water Efficiency and Reduction Performance

Recognising that holistic water management enhances the long-term value of our assets and developments, we have continuously implemented water conservation initiatives and tracked our water performance since 2007. CDL achieved the 2022 CDP A List in water security, which marks the fourth year of this recognition and reaffirms our robust water management strategy. To maintain our strong track record, we regularly review the water management plans for all our properties and introduce initiatives where areas for improvement are identified.

In 2022, for our office assets and corporate office, water intensity rose compared to the previous year due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, and operations going back to business-as-usual. For construction sites, water use intensity remained relatively consistent compared to 2021.

Notes
• Water used and water use intensity are for potable water only. Industrial grade NEWater usage is not included in the amount of water used.
• Total amount of water withdrawn is the same as total amount of water discharged into third-party water (i.e. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency sewers) with negligible amounts of water consumed. Hence, the total amount of water used is reported here.
CDL Corporate Office
• Estimated numbers were used for CDL Corporate Office in 2018 and January to March 2019, due to the installation of water meters in our corporate office, having relocated from City House to Republic Plaza during this period. Water consumption data from April 2019 was taken from installed water meters. Figures for 2018 and 2019 have been restated to include water consumption from corporate office pantries.
CDL Managed Buildings
• Water used refers to potable water only. Industrial grade NEWater is not included in the amount of water used.
• Water use figures have been restated to remove corporate office water usage quantities as they are reported separately in this report.
CDL Construction Sites
• Water use intensity for on-site dormitories is not included.

 

Note:
• CBM and City Serviced Offices are not represented here as they are tenants within a building and do not have separate meters to track respective water usage within their facilities.
* Figures for CDL have been restated to include water consumption from corporate office pantries.
^^ As at 31 December 2022, CDLHT is an associate of the Group (instead of a subsidiary), following an accounting deconsolidation in May 2022. However, CDLHT remains a key associate of the Group and its environmental performance is accounted for under the Group’s current SBTi-validated Scope 3 carbon emissions reduction target for 1.5 degree warmer scenario.