Green Drinks Talk & Discussion: PUB Stormwater Management Strategies

In this special mid-month session of Green Drinks, PUB’s Chief Engineer for Drainage Planning, Ridzuan Ismail shares their strategic approach in drainage design and flood management in Singapore. Following this, we have a panel discussion moderated by Grace Chua of The Straits Times, with Ridzuan, Yuen Sai Kuan from National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), Eugene Heng from Waterways Watch Society, and Liew Yien Phin from Black & Veatch.

Join us!

Date: 14 November 2013 (Thursday)
Time: 6.30pm onwards
Venue: Hood Bar & Cafe, #05-07 Bugis+, 201 Victoria Street (opposite Bugis Junction)

Admission fee: Any one drink! Please support the venue :)

RSVP: greendrinkssingapore@gmail.com or http://www.facebook.com/events/247655068717307/?source=1

 

About our speaker and panellists

Mr Ridzuan Ismail is the Chief Engineer for Drainage Planning in PUB’s Catchment and Waterways Department. His duties include overseeing the catchment development controls and master planning of the drainage systems in Singapore, through a holistic design approach that adopts solutions at source, pathways and receptors. He is also responsible in formulating the drainage and flood management policies and planning considerations, including its application to all public and private development. Mr Ridzuan has B.Eng (Civil) Degree from the National University of Singapore and a Masters in Business Administration (Nanyang Fellows) from the Nanyang Technological University.

Mr Yuen Sai Kuan is the Director, 3P Network Division of the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) in the Prime Minister’s Office.  He oversees NCCS’ outreach and engagement initiatives with the People, Private and Public (3P) sectors on climate change.

Mr Yuen graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with an Honours degree in Chemistry and Computational Science. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from NUS and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics, UK.

Mr Yuen was one of the recipients of the inaugural batch of Public Utilities Board (PUB) undergraduate scholarships in 1991.  He joined PUB in 1996 and worked on initiatives such as the NEWater demonstration project and restructuring of the Singapore energy market.  Mr Yuen was seconded to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources from June 2004 to June 2011 where he held appointments in water policy, industry development and corporate development.

Mr Eugene Heng is the Founder and current Chairman of Waterways Watch Society (1998), a non-government and non-profit society. Under his leadership, the society has won many awards including the very prestigious President’s Award for the Environment and PUB’s Watermark Honorary Award, as well as the public service award- PBM (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) for his work and is today much recognised by various partners like PUB, NEA and NParks.

With over 30 years of experience with a foreign bank, Eugene has been involved in environment work when working for the bank, which had given him green awards, and he has served under GPC(Government Parliamentary Committee) Environment in the 1990′s. Eugene has also served in advisory committee relating to environmental issues in Singapore e.g. Water Focus Group, Policy Study Work group on Physical and Environment Sustainability and Member of the Singapore Green Plan 2012 Coordinating Committee.  He is presently a member of the Singapore Water Network and Public Hygiene Council.

Eugene is also a Singapore Justice of the Peace.

Liew Yien Phin is Project Director for Black & Veatch’s global water business, where she provides leadership and oversight to water assignments in Singapore. She plays a key role in the development of talent within the Singapore office, which is home to Black & Veatch’s Global Design Centre for Water and is a Centre of Excellence for Desalination.

Ms Liew brings more than 20 years experience in design, procurement, construction management and project management of major water, wastewater and resources-related projects.  Her role also sees her serve as a Project Director, responsible for project pursuit and delivery.

Ms Liew is Project Director for the Drainage Master Plan Study (Western Catchment). In recent years, she also served as Watershed Manager for the Master Plan and implementation phase for the Western Catchment of the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme and for the study, design and construction supervision of the 15 million imperial gallons per day (migd) (68,000 m3/d) Jurong Membrane Bioreactor Plant (MBR) in Singapore.

The Straits Times: PUB to spend $750 million to fight flooding

The Straits Times today reported that the Public Utilities Board (PUB) will spend at least $750 million to reduce floods.

PUB to spend $750 million to fight flooding

National water agency PUB said on Monday it will adopt most of the flood panel’s recommendations, adding that it will spend at least $750 million on expanding canal capacity and other drainage projects.

It outlined a slew of measures aimed at reducing floods here, including immediate plans to increase the capacity of Stamford Canal, which serves the flood-hit Orchard Road area, by 10 per cent.

This includes lining the canal with a smooth material to transport water faster and removing sewage and Newater pipes within the canal to increase its capacity. These will be completed within a year. The National Environment Agency will also roll out a better flood alert system by year-end which will warn people of potential floods earlier.

In the next five years, PUB will also increase the capacity of six major canals here island-wide by 30 to 45 per cent each and revise its drainage master plan once every three years, compared to once every five years now.

Image taken from Hannaford

TODAY: PUB schedules 10 major drainage projects for 2012

Public Utilities Board (PUB) have lined up 10 major drainage improvement projects next year. Please see below for the  full story, as featured in TODAY.

PUB schedules 10 major drainage projects for 2012

SINGAPORE – The national water agency PUB has scheduled 10 major drainage projects for next year. Eight of the projects will commence in the first quarter of 2012.

Five of the projects involve expanding the roadside drains at the following flood-prone areas:

– South Bridge Road, North Canal Road, Upper Hokien Street and Upper Pickering Street

– Bencoolen Street, Prinsep Street and Rochor Road (from Waterloo Street to Bencoolen Street)

– Admiralty Road West and Neo Pee Teck Lane

– First Lok Yang Road

– Arab Street and Rochor Canal Road

PUB will also improve drainage in three other projects at non-flood prone areas:

– Road raising at Jalan Dusun, Jalan Datoh and Jalan Raja Udang

– Expansion of drains at Shanghai Road and Wee Nam Road

– Expansion of drains at Outram Road and Tiong Bahru Road

The works will commence in the first quarter of next year and are expected to be completed in 2013.

The two projects which will commence in the second quarter of 2012 are the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal (Bukit Timah Road to Holland Plain) and Drainage works at the junction of Hillcrest Road and Dunearn Road.

Apart from the new projects, PUB currently has 26 drainage projects being carried out at different parts of Singapore. These include six projects which commence in this month at areas such as Owen Road, Bishan Street 21, Goodman Road, Dakota Crescent and Changi Road, Lorong 102 to 106.

The drainage projects also include expansion works at several canals. They include the Bukit Timah Canal (from Maple Avenue to Jalan Kampong Chantek), Geylang River (from Guillemard Road to Dunman Road), Rochor Canal (from Jalan Besar to Crawford Street) and Alexandra Canal (from Zion Road to Kim Seng Road). These projects will be progressively completed between 2012 and 2015.

Among the drainage improvement works already completed this year to alleviate flooding in flood-prone areas are works at Lincoln Road/Surrey Road as well as upgrading to the following outlet drains: Jalan Haji Alias, Lorong L Telok Kurau, Jurong Port Road, Bayshore Road, Kelantan Road, Spottiswoode Park and MacPherson Road (Lorong Bakar Batu).

Image taken from Hannaford

The Straits Times: Drainage code updated to focus on floods

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) announced that they have updated the drainage code, which are mandatory for new buildings to adopt.

The Straits Times reports.

Drainage code updated to focus on floods

PUB’s revised rules apply to new buildings, those to be redeveloped

National water agency PUB on Wednesday announced details of an updated drainage code which new buildings have to abide by to better prepare for floods.

The changes include making the minimum height of platforms higher and increasing drainage capacities.

But the revised rules, which are mandatory, will apply only to new buildings and existing buildings slated for redevelopment.

These changes are a result of recommendations made by an inter-agency drainage review committee, as well as input from public and professional bodies.

The committee was formed in August last year to review drainage requirements for flood control after heavy rain caused massive flooding in Orchard Road in June the same year.

As part of the changes, buildings with basements, such as shopping malls and condominiums, need to have a minimum platform level of at least 60cm above ground level.

Before the changes, the minimum platform level could be at ground level.

In anticipation of more intense storms, drainage design standards have also been updated under the revised code.

Depending on the size of the catchment to store rainwater, these larger drains can vary up to a 50 per cent increase in drainage capacity.

Mr Lim Meng Check, PUB deputy director for catchment and waterways, said Singapore has experienced an increase in maximum rainfall intensities over the past 30 years.

‘Under the revised code of practice, we have increased our design standards to ensure that our drainage system is robust enough to cope with the higher intensity of rain,’ he said.

‘We have also raised the drainage requirements for developments to provide additional flood protection for buildings and key infrastructure.’

Associate Professor Susanto Teng of Nanyang Technological University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering said such measures are timely, given the higher occurrence of flash floods.

In 2009, flash floods occurred only on six days, according to the PUB. The figure went up to 13 last year, and has hit 12 so far this year.

‘Essentially, I think new buildings will be on a par with those built in flood- prone areas in the United States, so it’s a welcome move,’ said Prof Teng.

He said existing building owners should also look at their current anti- flood measures and decide if these are sufficient to combat intense rainfall.

‘It’s a tough issue as it involves costs and construction difficulties, particularly in built-up areas like Orchard Road. But if building owners don’t do anything, tenants will move out if things get out of hand,’ he said.

Dr Ho Nyok Yong, president of the Singapore Contractors Association, pointed out that steps must be taken to improve the overall infrastructure.

‘The updated measures will definitely help new building owners when floods happen. But once you raise the floor, the water still has to run somewhere,’ said Dr Ho, who is also the director of engineering firm Samwoh Corporation.

‘That means the surrounding vicinity of the building also has to have an adequate drainage system.’

Image taken from Hannaford