‘Back to water-rationing days’: No water supply for Phoenix Park tenants due to burst pipe

SINGAPORE – A water pipe that burst recently in the Phoenix Park office campus has cut off the water supply for offices and businesses there.

A pre-school, enrichment centres, a yoga studio and a tailoring business were among affected businesses in the cluster of 11 colonial buildings located in Tanglin Road.

The 59,630 sq m site, which used to house the former Ministry of Home Affairs office, is managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

The disruption to the water supply started on the morning of Jan 11, and is expected to last until noon on Jan 15.

A spokesperson for master tenant LHN Group, which offers real estate management services and leases out the majority of the units in the Phoenix Park office campus to sub-tenants, told The Straits Times on Jan 14 it found out that an underground pipe had been dislodged on Jan 11, requiring “urgent rectification”.

As a result, the company worked with national water agency PUB to switch off the main valve, which caused the water supply to be disrupted.

The LHN spokesperson added that the company had updated its sub-tenants on the situation via e-mail on Jan 11 and 13.

Noting that there had been “intense wet weather conditions” over the weekend, the spokesperson said there have also been site constraints in carrying out the repair works as the pipe leakage runs underneath a slope and is embedded 1m or 2m underground.

“We remain committed to (our contractors’) safety onsite, while balancing our focus in expediting the repair works,” said the spokesperson.

Initially aiming to resolve the water disruption by Jan 14, LHN Group had to push the completion of repair works to noon of Jan 15 because of heavy rain.

PUB told ST that while repair works are ongoing, it has been assisting affected tenants by supplying potable water via water wagons.

LHN Group then transferred the water from PUB’s water wagons into tanks to make it easier for tenants to collect water for non-drinking purposes.

SLA said it is aware of the burst underground water pipe, noting that LHN Group “immediately activated” its contractor to carry out repair works.

The Little Paddington Preschool, which is housed within the Phoenix Park campus, was among those affected by the disruption to the water supply.

In a circular seen by ST on Jan 13, the pre-school told parents and guardians of its pupils that it was unable to ensure the safe operation of the school, as there was no water supply in its toilet.

It said that it would not accept any pupils for the next few days until the water supply is restored, adding that this was the only way it could ensure the children’s health and safety.

The pre-school noted that it was actively working with SLA and the relevant authorities to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Ms Pooja Patodia, chief operating officer of Little Paddington Preschool, said the pre-school staff were unaware of the disruption to the water supply until the morning of Jan 13, when a teacher noticed that the water pressure in the restroom was very low.

Describing the day as “very challenging”, Ms Patodia said the pre-school staff were unable to bathe infants and sterilise milk bottles properly without a working water supply, so they had to order mineral water to do so. They also used disposable plates for the entire day, since they could not wash plates and utensils.

The owner of yoga wellness studio Laya Studio, who identified herself only as Ms Lim, said that it was “very inconvenient” to conduct classes as her clients did not have access to working toilets.

She had to resort to collecting water in plastic bottles from the tanks provided by LHN Group, for her clients to manually flush toilets or wash their hands when they visited the restroom.

She added that she could not reschedule her lessons as she could not “stop business from coming”.

Another tenant, Mr Chris Tan, director of car dealership Aztute Automotive, said he had to control his daily water intake to minimise his trips to the washroom. He added that the nearest alternative toilet for him was at a petrol kiosk, which is a two-minute drive away. The 40-year-old quipped that the collection of water from the tanks helped him imagine what it was like during wartime, and brought him “back to water-rationing days”.

Mr Kenneth Chia, the owner of tailoring business A Gentleman’s Tale, observed low water pressure in a sink installed outside his shop, to the point where there would be no water a few seconds after turning the tap on.

He described it as very inconvenient, and added that some of the common restrooms were choked with human waste over the weekend due to the disrupted water supply.

Correction note: An earlier version of this story quoted the Little Paddington Preschool saying it would not accept any pupils for the next few days until national water agency PUB reconnects the water supply. PUB has since clarified that the dislodged pipe is under the managing agent’s purview, and water supply was restored on Jan 11, though the main valve was switched off to facilitate LHN Group’s repair works.