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A woman in her 80s had to sleep on her son's condominium balcony after the pipes in the house got clogged and sewage water flooded the place.

A total of three plumbers who showed up declined to take on the job after assessing the situation the first time it happened.

The 61-year-old owner surnamed Li, who lives with his mother and sister at Blossom Residences, a Bukit Panjang condo, recounted the problem to Shin Min Daily News.

No problems the last 7 years

He said they have been living at the unit for seven years and never had problems until Feb. 1, 2023.

That day, sewage water began flowing out of the toilet drain for some 12 hours, he said.

He was told by the condo management corporation (MCST) to find a plumber on his own when he reported the matter.

It was not until the fourth plumber whom he contacted came by to have a look agreed to take on the job.

The plumber tried unclogging the drain, but found that the problem could not be solved.

It was suspected that the issue originated from the external water pipes connected to the drain, so they had to contact the condominium to get the building's blueprints.

By the time the plumber could work on the clog proper, it was already 11pm.

As Li's unit was located at the end of the building, his gutter became the exit point for the sewage that was stuck, he was told.

Forced to sleep in living room, balcony

As a result of the clogging and flooding, a foul smell percolated through the house, while the wooden flooring sustained water damage.

This sudden turn of events resulted in Li and his sister having to sleep on the sofa in the living room and transferring their elderly mother onto the balcony in a makeshift bed assembled from chairs.

After the first clogging incident, Li's mother could only lie on the makeshift bed on the balcony, and her range of movement was reduced, causing bedsores on her buttocks, Li claimed.

Flooded again

The next time the home flooded again was in March.

This time, water overflowed from the toilet and kitchen into the rooms and living room.

The family was done putting up with it.

They searched for a service apartment to move in overnight and then notified the plumber to see to the clogging.

But the family's woes did not end there.

As Li's mother was unfamiliar and not used to the new surroundings of the service apartment, she fell out of her bed one night and was admitted to the hospital, Li said.

"It doesn't matter if my sister and I suffer a little, but my mother has been a little depressed these past two months," Li said.

The clogging was eventually solved after two days following the latest incident, but the cleaning up process is expected to take longer.

Fortunately, some of the neighbours helped the family to clean up the mess.

Estimated S$50,000 in costs & damages

In total, the costs and damages incurred are estimated to come up to about S$50,000, Li claimed.

He said the walls of his apartment were water-stained and dirtied repeatedly.

There are also concerns about the lingering smell of sewage and hygiene issues, he said

As the house was paved with wooden flooring, the wooden boards soaked in water have warped.

The moisture had caused some of the wooden boards to become fragile and they will break when stepped on.

At present, the damaged flooring has been removed, but the family has to wait for the condominium management's instructions to carry out renovations, and not all items can be claimed.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News