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SINGAPORE: A contractor was fined S $ 8,500 for failing to ensure that a licensed plumber was performing regulated work on a private condominium along Kim Yan Road, leading to contamination of the water supply, the national agency said. of PUB water on Monday (December 28).
The firm was found guilty on two counts, and the crimes committed on September 8 at Waterford Residence.
PUB said it received calls on September 9 from residents who had detected an odor in the water and sent its officers to do a joint investigation with the condo managing agent.
“The odor goes back to one of the two compartments of the high-level water tank, which was immediately isolated for discharge work.
“The managing agent also performed a complete discharge of the service pipes, which caused the interruption of the water supply to 60 residential units in the affected block for approximately three hours,” PUB said.
Waterford Residence completed the replacement of the water tank cap on September 26, 2020.
Investigations revealed that Everrise Maintenance, a local contractor that the managing agent had hired for the condo, was tasked with conducting repair work after a roughly 10 cm line of cracks was found on the outer surface of the lid of a water tank during a PUB site inspection.
“These repair jobs are regulated jobs that must be performed by a licensed plumber or by workers under one’s direct supervision,” PUB said.
Rather than hire a licensed plumber, Everrise instructed its workers to repair the crack line without proper instructions. Workers applied sealant to both the outside and inside of the water tank lid, causing contamination of the water inside the tank.
Since then, the condo management changed the cap on the water tank under the supervision of a licensed plumber, PUB said.
BUILDING OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPER MAINTENANCE
Under utility (water supply) regulations, building owners are responsible for ensuring the proper maintenance and safety of their water service facilities, including water storage tanks.
“As part of regular maintenance, they must hire a licensed plumber annually to inspect, clean, and certify that their water storage tanks are suitable and safe for drinking water storage,” PUB said, adding that a licensed plumber You must rectify or supervise the work to be carried out if they are defects.
PUB said it issues circulars twice a year to remind customers of their responsibilities to ensure proper maintenance and safety of their water service facilities, as well as to inform the agency of any incidents.
It also conducts independent inspections in buildings to ensure that the annual inspection and certification of the water tanks is carried out in accordance with the requirements stipulated by PUB.
“PUB supplies healthy drinking water to every home and business, and we take a serious view on water safety.
“We would like to remind all customers and building owners that regulated work on all water service facilities, including water storage tanks, must be performed by a licensed plumber,” said Ridzuan Ismail, director of supply for water (network) from PUB.
Under the Public Utilities Act, contamination of water supplied by PUB carries a maximum fine of S $ 50,000. Failure to ensure regulated work is performed by a licensed plumber carries a maximum penalty of S $ 10,000.
