Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council
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SCDF said on July 30 that because the dry rising main was not working, water could not be charged up to the affected floors.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Follow topic:
- An underground pipe leak may have caused the dry riser at Block 229 to fail during a recent fire.
- Firefighters had to run hoses up the stairs as the dry riser wasn't working, hindering their ability to put out the fire.
- A similar incident occurred in August 2020, when a wet riser malfunctioned during a fire in Toa Payoh.
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SINGAPORE – An underground pipe leak could be the reason the dry rising main was not working during the blaze
In a statement on July 31, Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said it conducted a joint inspection of the dry riser with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, after SCDF found that it was not working properly.
“In our discussion with SCDF, the probable reason for the failure of the dry riser could be due to an underground pipe leak,” the town council said.
It said the specific dry riser at Block 229, where the fire broke out
The town council said SCDF requires a hydrostatic test for the dry riser to be conducted annually, which includes checks to detect such leaks.
In a statement on the evening of July 31, national water agency PUB clarified that there were no leaks to its water pipes supplying water to Block 229.
“The underground pipe which was leaking is part of the housing block’s internal firefighting infrastructure,” added PUB.
On July 29, a fire broke out in a unit on the 10th floor of the block, engulfing the flat and spreading to a unit on the 11th floor.
Seven people, including a firefighter and a child, were taken to hospital.
A day after the fire, on July 30, SCDF said that because the dry rising main was not working, water could not be charged up to the affected floors.
Firefighters had to set up hoses directly from the fire engine below up to the 10th and 11th floors via the staircase.
ST reported on July 30 that a similar incident had occurred in August 2020
In response, the town council on July 31 said the fire suppression systems involved in the two cases are unrelated.
The 2020 incident involved a wet riser system, while the recent incident in Toa Payoh Lorong 8 involved a dry riser system, said the town council.
It added about the older incident: “Subsequently, the SCDF conducted comprehensive inspections and concluded that all fire safety systems are in good working order. The wet riser system at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh has been properly maintained and remains in full working condition.”
