Pulau Semakau at sunset. The Semakau Landfill is Singapore's first and only landfill situated offshore among the southern islands of Singapore. It covers a total area of 3.5 square kilometres and has a capacity of 63 million m³. Semakau Landfill is filled mainly with
ash produced by Singapore's four
incineration plants, which incinerate the country's waste, shipped there in a covered
barge (to prevent the ash from getting blown into the air) every night. Contrary to popular belief that Semakau Landfill would be another dirty and smelly landfill, the care put into the design and operational work at the landfill has ensured that the site is clean, free of smell and scenic. During construction,
silt screens were installed to ensure that the
corals were not affected during the
reclamation works. The landfill is lined with an impermeable membrane, and
clay and any
leachate produced is processed at a leachate treatment plant. Regular water testing is carried out to ensure the integrity of the impermeable liners.