Water quality unaffected by foam escape

Straits Times Forum 22 Nov 12;

PUB, the national water agency, and the National Environment Agency (NEA) thank Mr Roy Kee for his letter ("Foam escape not a laughing matter"; last Friday). We concur with Mr Kee's concern for the quality of water in our waterways.

PUB has a comprehensive routine monitoring system for our water supply.

As Pang Sua Canal drains into Kranji Reservoir, additional laboratory tests were also conducted every day following the incident to test for a range of organic and inorganic compounds present in the reservoir water. The results confirmed that the raw water quality in the reservoir was within the normal range.

To protect the environment and public health, the NEA regulates the use of hazardous chemicals in Singapore to ensure their safe use and handling.

The detergent that flowed into the canal during the fire incident was a substance known as alkyl polyglucoside, which is made from plant-based oils (glucose derived from corn, and fatty alcohols from coconut and palm kernel oils). Alkyl polyglucoside is non-toxic and ultimately biodegrades into environmentally harmless compounds - carbon dioxide and water - within days. It does not contain any hazardous chemicals.

The PUB assures the public that this incident did not affect the water quality in Kranji Reservoir. Moreover, raw water in all our reservoirs is treated at the waterworks to World Health Organisation drinking water quality guidelines before it is supplied to households. We must collectively continue to be extremely vigilant about protecting the quality of our water supply.

Tan Nguan Sen
Director, Catchment & Waterways Department
PUB

Fong Peng Keong
Director, Pollution Control Department
National Environment Agency