Oil spill incident: Singapore’s water supply not affected; local fish safe to eat

SINGAPORE - The

oil spill incident at Pasir Panjang Terminal

on June 14 has not affected water supply here and local fish farms located in the Johor Strait, according to separate statements from national water agency PUB and Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

In a statement on June 17, PUB said the oil spill has been limited to coastal areas and some coastal drains. These drains convey and discharge stormwater to the sea and are not linked to the freshwater reservoirs, it said.

The agency added that no oil has been detected near the seawater intake at Jurong Island Desalination Plant, which is closest to the oil spill location on the south coast of Singapore Island.

“Water quality readings remain normal,” PUB said.

Meanwhile, the Marina East Desalination Plant, located further along the coast, has a dual-mode capability to treat either seawater or reservoir water.

The plant is currently in “reservoir” mode and treating water from the Marina Reservoir, said PUB, adding that it will continue to monitor seawater quality closely.

The other three desalination plants, namely SingSpring, Tuas South and Tuas, are at the western end of Singapore, away from the spill.

In a Facebook post on June 17, SFA said: “To date, none of our fish farms is affected by the oil spill and our local fish remain safe for consumption.”

But as preventive measures, additional containment and absorbent booms will be deployed over the next few days to protect the fish farms located at East Johor Strait, it said, adding that it is in close contact with the farms and will monitor the situation closely.

As at March 2024, there are 87 licensed sea-based farms, according to SFA documents.

The oil spill was a result of an incident on June 14

involving the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima

and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, at Pasir Panjang Terminal.

The impact created a rupture in one of the oil tanks of Marine Honour, which caused oil to leak into the sea.

In an update on June 16, Singapore agencies leading the charge in the oil spill clean-up said that Vox Maxima had suffered a

sudden loss of engine and steering control.

ST also reported that

no significant wildlife casualties were observed

in the oil-slicked areas of St John’s and Lazarus islands on June 16, but conservationists say they are on alert for the longer-term ramifications for nature, as it could take time for the impact of oil spills to manifest.