May 02, 2023, 11:32 AM
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An underground pipe burst resulting in a flat in Yishun to be inundated with muddy water, Lianhe Zaobao reported.
The flooding was so bad the muddy water poured out of the unit's front door.
The incident took place on May 1.
What video showed
A video of the incident showed large amounts of muddy water gushing down the steps of the front gate of the affected unit.
The sound of water splashing out of the unit was audible.
The gate looked like a small waterfall.
The 52-year-old owner of the unit, a taxi driver, told Zaobao that he bought the four-room unit in November 2022 and spent about S$100,000 on renovation and new furniture.
He was supposed to move into the flat on May 3 following the long weekend.
The owner said: "My wife and I went to clean up our new home. When my wife heard the sound of running water at around 1pm, she thought it was raining. When I walked to the window, I found that the water pipe had burst. Just a few seconds later, muddy water began gushing out of the the drain hole in the master bedroom toilet."
Before the couple could do anything, the drain holes in the kitchen and kitchen toilets also began gushing out a large amount of muddy water, which flowed from the entrance of the living room to the corridor outside.
The water supply was affected for about two hours.
Layer of mud left on floor
The couple informed the town council, which could only wait for the PUB personnel to arrive before turning off the supply.
The water source was finally turned off at 3pm, but the muddy water continued to flow for about two hours before stopping.
Several flats in the same block had their water supply cut off due to maintenance work.
The floor of the new home was left with a thick layer of mud after the water subsided and the new furniture were soaked.
The cleaning was completed at around 7:15pm on Monday evening.
via Derrick Goh
via Derrick Goh
PUB response
PUB confirmed with Lianhe Zaobao that the authorities received a report of a burst water pipe at Block 401 Yishun Avenue 6 at around 1:20pm on Monday, and immediately sent personnel to the scene for emergency repairs.
The water supply in some units of the low-rise block was cut off for about two hours and did not return to normal until 4:30pm.
During the period the water supply was cut off, PUB arranged for water wagons to supply water to the affected units.
The plumbing contractor and the Yishun Town Council assisted the owner with the issue.
The PUB spokesperson said, according to Zaobao: "We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the incident and have reached out to the homeowner to provide assistance."
MP for Nee Soon GRC, Derrick Goh, said on Facebook: "I was informed that they have confirmed the burst pipe to be under under PUB’s purview."
He added: "Our cleaners from 800 Super Waste reacted very quickly and were on hand to help the resident of the flooded unit to move furniture out of the home and cleaned the unit."
"I spoke with the affected resident and understand that the unit had just completed renovation and the family was planning to move in after the long holiday weekend."
"I contacted our Yishun HDB General Manager to help provide the family with temporary accommodation and the PA Grassroots will help access emergency funds to help the family."
Top photos via Lianhe Zaobao
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