Data on Private Residential Water Pipe Incidents, Root Causes and Recourse Options Available to MCSTs and Residents

Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many water pipe burst incidents in the past five years have occurred within or affected private residential developments; (b) what were their main root causes and the average age of the affected pipes; and (c) what recourse is available to residents and Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs) for damage or disruption arising from such incidents.

Over the past five years, there was an average of 20 water pipe leaks per year in the Public Utilities Board's (PUB's) network that affected the water supply to private residential developments. We do not collect data on pipe leaks within private residential developments. The leaks were mainly due to wear and tear of pipes, while a minority of the cases were a result of damage arising from construction activities. The condition of water pipes is affected by various factors, such as their age and the surrounding environmental conditions. The affected pipes had an average age of about 30 years (out of a useful lifespan of 70 years). Overall, PUB's low leak rate of 4.5 leaks per 100 kilometres of water pipe per year places PUB among the top-performing utilities globally.

Where water supply is interrupted, PUB offers several forms of support to affected customers, including: one, deploying mobile water wagons and distributing water bags; two, laying temporary connection hoses to bring in alternate water supply; and three, communicating updates on pipe repair status and expected restoration times to affected customers.