The installation of smart shower systems in 10,000 new Build-To-Order (BTO) Housing Board flats will begin early next year, national water agency PUB said yesterday.

Two firms - Amphiro, and Smart and Blue - will supply and deliver the showers.

They will produce up to 10,000 devices each. Details such as which BTO flats they will be installed in are still being finalised.

The entire process will continue into 2019.

Amphiro's proposed showers come with a panel display of water consumption in real time.

The proposal from French firm Smart and Blue, which is internationally known as Hydrao and produces its shower devices under that name, uses different colour codes on the showerhead to indicate consumption levels.

Darker colours mean more water is being used.

In the current Hydrao shower devices, the showerhead's colour changes from green to blue, to purple, to red, and then flashing red, with increasing water use.

The proposals from both firms incorporate interactive features that allow users to, for example, monitor their water consumption history and set their own water-saving goals.

PUB received four proposals after putting out a call for smart shower suppliers earlier this year.

A study it conducted with the National University of Singapore (NUS) showed that a person could save up to 5 litres of water daily using such smart shower devices.

Using them, as part of the Government's push to help Singaporeans reduce water wastage, could help households save about 3 per cent on their monthly water bills, according to the PUB.

Behavioural scientist Ho Teck Hua, deputy president for research and technology and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor at NUS, said: "Initiatives such as the use of smart shower devices that provide real-time information can motivate behavioural change and complement traditional policy tools in achieving Singapore's water-conservation goals."