Newater was initiated in 1998 by Singapore authorities to explore water reclamation and desalination as alternatives to reduce reliance on imported water from Malaysia. The Newater process uses conventional wastewater treatment followed by microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis to filter out solids, particles, and other contaminants. It then adds a fourth barrier of UV disinfection and pH adjustment to produce purified water ready for use.