SINGAPORE: A construction company was fined S$42,000 on Apr 2 for damaging a water main at a River Valley Green construction site, said national water agency PUB in a press release on Wednesday (Apr 17).
The water main was punctured while Dae Sung Construction was carrying out drilling works on Feb 15, 2017. The company was hired as a sub-contractor to carry out soil improvement works for the construction of Great World MRT station and tunnels for the Thomson-East Coast Line.
AdvertisementPUB said the damage caused the loss of about 1.5 million litres of potable water, equivalent to more than half the size of an Olympic swimming pool.
Investigations found that Dae Sung Construction failed to determine the exact location and alignment of the water mains in the area before drilling, the agency said.
“In addition, they did not exercise due diligence in supervising their drilling rig operator when carrying out the drilling works,” it added.
PUB carried out “urgent repair works” to avoid disruption of water supplies to customers and to minimise water loss, it said. The water main had to be shut down for 10 hours while repairs were ongoing.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis was Dae Sung Construction’s first offence, said PUB. Damaging any PUB water main or connecting pipe with a diameter of at least 300mm is an offence under the Public Utilities Act, which carries a fine of up to S$200,000, jail term of up to three years, or both.
“Contractors should always refer to PUB’s advisory on the prevention of damage to water pipe infrastructure before carrying out any construction works in the vicinity of water mains,” it said.
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