Company fined $49k for damaging water main and causing Marine Parade flood

SINGAPORE – A construction company that damaged a water main and

caused a flood in Marine Parade in October 2024

was fined $49,000 on March 11.

National water agency PUB said on March 14 that Pal-Link Construction damaged a potable water main and performed works within a water pipe corridor without prior approval on Oct 4, 2024.

The damage caused disruption when water flooded the nearby Marine Drive Housing Board estate. This led to water loss of about 4.2 million litres – the equivalent of two Olympic-size swimming pools.

PUB said: “Investigations showed that Pal-Link, the contractor responsible for the construction of lift shafts for an existing pedestrian overhead bridge along Still Road South, did not seek prior approval to install temporary underground earth retaining structures in the vicinity of water mains.

“During the works, the contractor’s excavator damaged the underground water main located at a depth of 1.8m.”

Water gushed out from the 300mm-in-diameter water main and flooded all four lanes of Still Road South and the Marine Drive estate.

PUB said while it managed to isolate the leak to stop the flow, there was a build-up of traffic over 30 minutes.

The leftmost lane had to be closed for more than a day to facilitate repair works.

A PUB spokesperson said: “The works required were complex, and the reinstatement of the damaged pipe and full reopening of Still Road South could only be completed the following day.”

The incident also caused a lift breakdown at Block 67 Marine Drive from water entering the lift shaft. Business operations at a convenience store in the same block were also disrupted for a few hours because of the flooding.