From a former sand quarry rose Bedok Reservoir. This isn’t just any body of water. It’s a vital part of Singapore’s history. Bedok Reservoir began its life as a sand quarry. The Housing and Development Board used it. Then in 1980 it was announced as part of a water supply scheme. Construction started in 1983. A deep pumping station and perimeter road were built. By June 1985 Bedok Reservoir was complete. It started operations later that same year.
Today Bedok Reservoir offers much more than just water. It’s a hub for water sports. Wakeboarding sailing canoeing and kayaking are popular. The Singapore Sports Council made this possible. They wanted to allow water sports without harming water quality. The HSBC Wakeboard World Cup Singapore 2004 was the first international event here.
Bedok Reservoir Park surrounds the reservoir. This park is a place for recreation. There’s a jogging track a playground and fitness stations. People enjoy inline skating cycling fishing and jogging. Schools and organizations regularly hold events. Forest Adventure is located in the park. It’s the largest treetop adventure park in Singapore. It has 69 obstacles and four zip lines.
The park has six venues for private events. These include a floating deck an activity lawn and a jogging track. There’s also a reservoir vista a reservoir lawn and a viewing gallery. The park is easily accessible via Bedok Reservoir Road. Restaurants like Forest Adventure and WAWAWA – Bistro by The Reservoir are here. Amateur radio operators even use the park. They use the code 9V-0004.
The launch of water sports activities was on October 17 2004. George Yeo the former Minister of Foreign Affairs flagged off a canoe race. The Wakeboard World Cup Singapore 2007 was held here. It was part of the World Cup Series. The Singapore Waterski & Wakeboard Federation organized it. The world premiere of Hydro Sapiens was here. The Singapore Dragon Boat Festival was also held at Bedok Reservoir. A weekly parkrun takes place here. It’s a 5km run for all fitness levels.
Sadly Bedok Reservoir also had an incident. In September 2014 a student capsized his kayak. Fish bit his feet. Biologists said aggressive turtles or fish may have caused the cuts. More attacks were reported. Sporting and recreational activities were suspended. This happened from December 17 2014 to January 16 2015. Many non-native predatory fish were caught. These included African walking catfish peacock bass tarpon and giant snakehead. The government issued warnings. Severe fines were imposed for releasing non-native fish.
Bedok Reservoir. From a sand quarry to a recreational haven it’s a testament to Singapore’s transformation. It’s a place of leisure and a reminder of the importance of environmental protection. It’s a captivating story. A story only Bedok Reservoir can tell.