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An underground pipe burst resulting in a Yishun flat being flooded with muddy water.
Following the incident, several defects were found in the unit's private sanitary pipes, PUB shared in a statement on May 5.
Defects in unit's private sanitary pipes
On Facebook, PUB shared that the "unfortunate and unusual incident" occurred when a nearby water pipe burst.
The burst caused "silty water" to back-flow and enter the unit through floor traps in the bathrooms, resulting in flooding within the unit.
PUB said it responded promptly to investigate and repair the leak in the underground water pipe.
Following the incident, PUB launched a joint inspection with Nee Soon Town Council (NSTC) where they found several defects in the unit's private sanitary pipes.
These private sanitary pipes served to convey used water from the unit to the public sewerage system, said PUB, adding:
"When a leak occurred on the underground water pipe located right next to the unit on May 1, the pressurised water from the pipe was hence able to enter the unit via the defects on the private sanitary pipes, resulting in the flooding."
PUB is currently working with NSTC to fix the defects as soon as possible.
Priority is to support affected family
PUB added that its priority is to support the affected family during this stressful period.
PUB officers helped to source suitable temporary accommodation nearby that is convenient for their children to go to school.
They are also supporting the family with moving and storing their belongings and furniture in a storage facility.
"The unit’s owners, a family of five, were understandably distressed as they were preparing to move into their newly renovated home," they said.
"We hope our continued support will help to alleviate some of their anxiety."
Who is responsible for the sanitary pipes?
The pipe that burst was said to be under PUB's purview, and a PUB spokesperson told The Straits Times that they “will look into the damage claims when received from the family”.
However, it's not clear who is responsible for the private sanitary pipes that were found to have defects.
A quick search on the HDB website shows that flat owners are responsible for the maintenance of the sanitary branch pipes in their units.
The required maintenance includes regular checks on the pipe fittings and engaging a plumber to carry out repairs where necessary.
Image via HDB.
The HDB website does not state how this applies for a ground-floor unit, however.
Mothership has reached out to PUB for clarification and will update this article if they reply.
Top image via Lianhe Zaobao and PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency/Facebook.