29 households in Boon Keng HDB block affected by burst wastewater pipe

SINGAPORE – Residents of 29 households in a Build-To-Order HDB block in Boon Keng could not use their toilets for hours on Jan 21 because of a burst sewage pipe.

The incident happened on the eighth floor of Block 1B Kempas Road, affecting residents in one stack there, said Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh in response to queries from The Straits Times.

Block 1B Kempas Road is within Kempas Residences, which was fully completed in January 2025 after a

six-month delay

.

The Jalan Besar Town Council was informed of the burst pipe at about 8.30am, Mr Loh said, after which the area was cordoned off.

He said that there were no issues with the pipe based on an inspection on the evening of Jan 20, adding that a possible cause is renovation debris being disposed of into the floor trap of a unit.

Temporary pipe diversion works were completed by 8pm, Mr Loh said. Residents can use their toilets again, and the burst pipe has been fixed by the town council, he added.

The town council had issued an advisory to residents in the afternoon and went door to door to advise them not to use their toilets while emergency repairs were under way.

An image of the incident shared on Reddit shows a burst pipe, with what appears to be sewage leaking out of it.

Another photo shows an area cordoned off, with signage showing the words “Caution” and “Wet Floor” placed nearby.

Mr Loh thanked residents for their understanding and for their quick dissemination of information.

“And importantly, I want to credit our town council officer for going door to door to inform residents, as well as our hardworking town council workers who are working through the night to clean the area up,” he added.