Singapore sees sewage as tourist draw

Singapore transforms sewage into drinking water

Singapore is promoting a factory that turns sewage into drinking water as its latest tourist attraction.

Visitors will be treated to videos on how the water is processed, an hour-long guided tour of Singapore's search for alternative water supplies, and a waterfall.

Singapore decided to develop processed sewage, dubbed NEWater, after querying the prices it was paying neighbouring Malaysia for its water.

The factory where it is made had reportedly become so popular that the government decided to promote it as a must-see for tourists.

The NEWater visitor centre welcomed its 100,000th visitor on Thursday, just 10 months after its opening, the French news agency AFP reported.

Despite its popularity, the official promotion of the centre may not do much to help the government throw off the city state's staid image, which it has been trying to shed in recent months by allowing for the first time, table-top dancing in bars and bungee jumping.

Jaywalking, spitting and even failing to flush the toilet correctly can still lead to fines.