On February 2, residents of the Northshore Cove estate in Punggol faced difficulties with their water supply that lasted for approximately two days. Some individuals reported water outages or reduced water pressure, while others noticed cloudy or yellow-tinted water emerging from their faucets.
@jeannieen Punggol northshore cove water stop for 2 days #hdb ♬ Funny video "Carmen Prelude" Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai)
Residents shared their experiences on TikTok and in a Telegram chat group for the community. Videos were posted showing instances of discolored water and low pressure. A few residents compared the quality of their tap water to seawater and described it as “barley water.” Similar concerns were raised on the Facebook page of Pasir Ris-Punggol Member of Parliament (MP) Janil Puthucheary, with some residents reporting a complete absence of water supply and others receiving it in inconsistent bursts.
Additionally, residents expressed alarm over finding white particles or metallic residue in their water. Affected individuals reached out to PUB and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to report the issues. They were informed by a technician that a pump malfunction had occurred and were advised to let the water run. However, the problems persisted for several days.
Some residents were forced to bathe using the cloudy water, while other families rationed store-bought water, prioritizing households with children. Following these incidents, PUB directed residents to seek help from the town council. The maintenance of water pumps and tanks in HDB estates is the responsibility of the town council. The resident who shared the story reported that the issue was resolved in their unit after two days, on February 4.
PUB’s educational video explains that discolored tap water is typically caused by mineral sediments, such as iron and manganese, found in pipes and tanks. These sediments can be stirred up due to sudden changes in water pressure, which may occur during maintenance operations like routine water tank cleaning and service pipe flushing. Although discolored water may appear alarming, it does not pose a health risk.