The investigations revealed no defects in the sewage system or other areas.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has refuted the online claims of a woman on the authorities’ inaction on the alleged leaks and water contamination within her flat, saying such claims were “untrue”, reported Channel News Asia (CNA).
In a Facebook post on 4 July, Geraldine Tang said the bathrooms in her Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat would be invaded by a foul smell after her neighbours use the toilets.
She added that her bedroom floors would get “cold and wet” every time her neighbour takes hot showers or use air conditioning, while “bacteria in tap water” caused her skin problems.
Tang posted photos of her flat, including the bathroom, saying it is “smelly and hot almost 24 hours … badly damaged from five years of heat, bugs and moisture coming from units above and below”.
However, HDB revealed that they had conducted multiple site inspections since Tang first reported the issues in 2015.
“The investigations revealed no defects in the sewage system or other areas, which could possibly cause the alleged foul smell within the flat,” said HDB in a Facebook post, as quoted by CNA. “PUB had also tested water samples from her flat, which showed that the water is safe for drinking.”
An indoor air quality specialist who inspected Tang’s flat found that the doors and windows at the flat were constantly closed, “resulting in poor ventilation as well as high temperature and humidity within the flat”, noted HDB.
“It was also observed that multiple cleaning chemicals were used to disinfect the floor and wash the walls of the flat. The specialist concluded that the microbial growth within the flat is likely a result of the poor ventilation and excessive washing over time.”
However, Tang did not heed the specialist’s advice to ventilate her flat.
Woman has reported similar issues in previous homes
HDB and PUB said the woman had complained of similar issues at her two previous homes prior to her current flat. Tang currently lives at Belvia in Bedok Reservoir Crescent.
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“In all of these cases, our inspections found the fittings and materials to be in order,” said HDB.
PUB, on the other hand, said it has been attending to Tang’s feedback on water issues at three different homes since 2013.
It noted that all of the test results showed that the water quality within her estate was satisfactory. Checks on the sanitary system within her toilet also showed that the system was in order.
“We have repeatedly explained to Ms Tang that the many rounds of investigations and tests have shown that the water supplied to her is entirely satisfactory and safe for drinking. PUB had conducted leak detection work at her premises and found no service pipe leak within her premises,” said PUB in Facebook post as quoted by CNA.
The agency also said that it maintains a strict monitoring regime to ensure that tap water is safe for consumption.
“Water samples from consumers’ taps are also tested daily,” it said.
Both HDB and PUB said they received no similar feedback from other residents within Tang’s precinct.
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Victor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg