Residents in Punggol were shocked yesterday afternoon when brown-coloured water began flowing from their taps. Around fifty blocks in the area were affected. In spite of the reaction from residents, PUB (the national water agency) declared that although the water was discoloured, it was still safe to drink.
A PUB press statement clarified that the cause of the problem was in fact due to sediment which had been disturbed in a pipeline during the carrying out of valve operations at midday yesterday. The sediment had been agitated during the operations; however, the sediment consists of various minerals normally found in tap water. This sediment, which is quite normal, settles at the bottom of pipelines over a period of time, it had simply been disturbed during the work carried out.
According to PUB, the valve operations on a transmission water main, running alongside the Tampines Expressway were part of preparatory process for connecting a new pipeline.
At around 2pm, PUB began receiving reports from residents regarding the brown (discoloured) water and responded by sending officers into the area to flush out the water main. The service pipes of residents were also flushed out on a home by home basis for those residents affected.
PUB advised residents to leave taps running until the water cleared. Water bags and water tankers were also supplied by PUB to supply water to affected residents temporarily.
If members of the public have any concerns, they should call PUB’s 24-hour call centre on 1800 284 6600. POU (Point of use) water filters allow water to be filtered just before using to ensure fresh and clean water. Check out Water Filter Shop at shop.waterfilter.com.sg/ for water filtration products for households and offices. For more of the story, you can check it out here