SINGAPORE: Singapore is testing a possible new addition to its arsenal to keep people dry when flash floods threaten during the monsoon season.
While the new flood protection device looks like an ordinary blue plastic mattress, it is actually a high-tech equipment that was tried and tested in wet, rainy Britain.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMeet Floodgate - the national water agency PUB's latest weapon in the battle against flash floods in Singapore.
The device is made from high strength steel frames wrapped in a waterproof rubber sleeve. Its side panels can be extended with a wrench to achieve a watertight seal against the doorway, said PUB in a media release on Wednesday (Dec 30).
A total of 20 devices were purchased from the United Kingdom for “performance testing and validation” in September this year, said the national water agency.
[h=3]READ - Commentary: How prepared is Singapore for the next flash flood?[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementFifteen of them are currently on loan to residents at Upper Paya Lebar Road for the prevailing monsoon season.
Upper Paya Lebar Road was selected as the area is a low-lying one, said Mr Lee Cai Jie, who is a senior principal engineer at PUB’s catchment and waterways department, at a demonstration event on Wednesday.
The agency had reached out to residents in the area to loan out the barrier for use during the monsoon season, said Mr Lee, adding that the unit price of each device can cost between S$800 to S$2,200.
“We hope to use this particular monsoon season to test it out and to get some feedback on the effectiveness of Floodgate. If the effectiveness of Floodgate is deemed feasible, we do have plans to purchase more in the coming years,” said Mr Lee.
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Floodgate can be installed easily at the doorways or entrances of residential, commercial and industrial premises. (Photo: Calvin Oh)
“We believe the current devices we have are adequate but with this addition of Floodgate, it will give us some flexibility in terms of the light weight as well as the modular nature (of the device).”
Floodgate is designed to hold back waters as high as 680mm, said PUB. It is available in different sizes to suit openings with widths ranging from 770mm to 1520mm wide and weighs between 13kg and 21kg.
Each device can be deployed by one person within minutes and packed away easily. At wider openings such as the entrances of shopfronts, pieces can be linked together to create longer sections.
SOLUTIONS FOR FLASH FLOODS
Mr Yeo Keng Soon, who is PUB’s director of catchment and waterways department, noted in the press release that the agency is also seeing more intense storms and increased rainwater.
“PUB has made significant progress in improving the drainage system over the past 50 years, which greatly reduced the size of flood-prone areas in Singapore, from 3,200 ha in the 1970s to 28 ha today,” added Mr Yeo.
“Flash floods these days are more localised and typically subsides within 30 minutes. However, we are also seeing more frequent rainfall events that are not just bringing increased rainwater but also more intense storms.
"With climate change, we must be prepared to deal with and enhance community resilience to flash flood occurrences as it is not always possible to widen or deepen our drains to eliminate floods.”
The Floodgate can be deployed quickly to protect homes and buildings in the event of a flash flood. (Photo: Calvin Oh)
To date, there have been seven separate days this year where flash floods occurred at various locations in Singapore, said PUB. This was due to very intense rainfall within a short period of time.
The current monsoon season is expected to last for another month.
Last year, two portable flood protection devices - the Dam Easy Flood Panels (DFPs) and Portable Flood Barriers (PFBs) were introduced by PUB.
[h=3]READ: PUB to deploy new portable flood protection devices for northeast monsoon season[/h]To date, 65 DFPs and 155 PFBs have been loaned out to residents in homes and shophouses in flood-prone and low-lying areas.
In addition to temporary flood barriers, PUB also uses a range of digital technologies to carry out round-the-clock weather monitoring through a network of closed-circuit television cameras as well as online water level sensors in drains and radar system to enable quicker response to flood-risk areas, it said.
“PUB is constantly looking out for new solutions and devices to better enable residents and businesses to respond to flash floods and minimise potential damage to their premises,” added Mr Yeo.
“In the past, we used heavy and bulky one-time use sandbags against floodwaters. Now, modern flood protection barriers such as Floodgates and Dam Easy Flood Panels can be quickly deployed by residents and shop owners themselves, when there is possibility of flooding.”
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While the new flood protection device looks like an ordinary blue plastic mattress, it is actually a high-tech equipment that was tried and tested in wet, rainy Britain.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMeet Floodgate - the national water agency PUB's latest weapon in the battle against flash floods in Singapore.
The device is made from high strength steel frames wrapped in a waterproof rubber sleeve. Its side panels can be extended with a wrench to achieve a watertight seal against the doorway, said PUB in a media release on Wednesday (Dec 30).
A total of 20 devices were purchased from the United Kingdom for “performance testing and validation” in September this year, said the national water agency.
[h=3]READ - Commentary: How prepared is Singapore for the next flash flood?[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementFifteen of them are currently on loan to residents at Upper Paya Lebar Road for the prevailing monsoon season.
Upper Paya Lebar Road was selected as the area is a low-lying one, said Mr Lee Cai Jie, who is a senior principal engineer at PUB’s catchment and waterways department, at a demonstration event on Wednesday.
The agency had reached out to residents in the area to loan out the barrier for use during the monsoon season, said Mr Lee, adding that the unit price of each device can cost between S$800 to S$2,200.
“We hope to use this particular monsoon season to test it out and to get some feedback on the effectiveness of Floodgate. If the effectiveness of Floodgate is deemed feasible, we do have plans to purchase more in the coming years,” said Mr Lee.
Advertisement
“We believe the current devices we have are adequate but with this addition of Floodgate, it will give us some flexibility in terms of the light weight as well as the modular nature (of the device).”
Floodgate is designed to hold back waters as high as 680mm, said PUB. It is available in different sizes to suit openings with widths ranging from 770mm to 1520mm wide and weighs between 13kg and 21kg.
Each device can be deployed by one person within minutes and packed away easily. At wider openings such as the entrances of shopfronts, pieces can be linked together to create longer sections.
SOLUTIONS FOR FLASH FLOODS
Mr Yeo Keng Soon, who is PUB’s director of catchment and waterways department, noted in the press release that the agency is also seeing more intense storms and increased rainwater.
“PUB has made significant progress in improving the drainage system over the past 50 years, which greatly reduced the size of flood-prone areas in Singapore, from 3,200 ha in the 1970s to 28 ha today,” added Mr Yeo.
“Flash floods these days are more localised and typically subsides within 30 minutes. However, we are also seeing more frequent rainfall events that are not just bringing increased rainwater but also more intense storms.
"With climate change, we must be prepared to deal with and enhance community resilience to flash flood occurrences as it is not always possible to widen or deepen our drains to eliminate floods.”
To date, there have been seven separate days this year where flash floods occurred at various locations in Singapore, said PUB. This was due to very intense rainfall within a short period of time.
The current monsoon season is expected to last for another month.
Last year, two portable flood protection devices - the Dam Easy Flood Panels (DFPs) and Portable Flood Barriers (PFBs) were introduced by PUB.
[h=3]READ: PUB to deploy new portable flood protection devices for northeast monsoon season[/h]To date, 65 DFPs and 155 PFBs have been loaned out to residents in homes and shophouses in flood-prone and low-lying areas.
In addition to temporary flood barriers, PUB also uses a range of digital technologies to carry out round-the-clock weather monitoring through a network of closed-circuit television cameras as well as online water level sensors in drains and radar system to enable quicker response to flood-risk areas, it said.
“PUB is constantly looking out for new solutions and devices to better enable residents and businesses to respond to flash floods and minimise potential damage to their premises,” added Mr Yeo.
“In the past, we used heavy and bulky one-time use sandbags against floodwaters. Now, modern flood protection barriers such as Floodgates and Dam Easy Flood Panels can be quickly deployed by residents and shop owners themselves, when there is possibility of flooding.”
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