Deaths at Reservoirs

Mrs Lina Chiam asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in view of the six reported cases of bodies taken out of reservoirs, notably four in the last four months (a) what other measures to prevent occurrences of such incidents will the PUB adopt other than the usual beefing up of security and putting up of warning signs around the reservoirs; and (b) whether the Ministry will set up a committee to look into the impact on the water quality and the psychological effects of these incidents.

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, Sir, let me begin by expressing our condolences to the families of all those who have passed away in the vicinity of our reservoirs. There are fundamentally two key issues that we need to address. First, why do we open our reservoirs to the public and, secondly, the safety of our water supply.

Let me deal with the first point. Since 2004, PUB has opened up most of our reservoirs for recreational activities which include kayaking, canoeing, dragon-boating and spot fishing. This has enabled many people to enjoy access to our water bodies and also encourage stronger community ownership of our reservoirs. The purpose of this is to ensure people come closer to water, and feel a stake in maintaining the cleanliness of our reservoirs. Furthermore, this is a beautiful, natural resource and I think it should be made available to the citizens of our country.

The opening of the reservoirs was done with careful consideration for public safety. If any Member has visited, you would find that there are safety measures such as warning signs, life buoys, safety barriers and clear demarcation of the areas within the reservoirs which are available for public use. All the activities on the water have to be conducted by organised and formal groups. All such operators are required to comply with very stringent safety procedures which are imposed by PUB. These procedures would include safety briefings to all participants and ensuring that every participant in the water has a personal floatation device. PUB conducts regular audits on all these operators to ensure strict compliance with these required safety procedures. In addition, PUB officers also conduct regular patrols to ensure that reservoir facilities are used in a safe manner. PUB has also worked with Police to step up their patrols in reservoirs and particularly in Bedok Reservoir. We have also adopted a suggestion from the public, and we are putting up more signs at the Bedok reservoir grounds which will provide information on support helpline for those who are depressed.

In recent months, a number of bodies have been found in our reservoirs. Of the cases so far, only one has gone through a formal Coroner's Inquiry and in that particular case, the Coroner recorded an open verdict which means there was not sufficient evidence to determine the specific cause of death. For the other cases, formal investigations are still ongoing. The Coroner's Inquiry has not been held yet and, therefore, we should not speculate on the specific circumstances of each particular case at this point in time. Having said that, PUB's internal investigations into the circumstances into all these cases so far have not attributed any of these deaths to water activities within the reservoir itself.

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Even with the measures that have been put in place, we still require people to exercise personal care and take responsibility for their own safety in our reservoirs. We therefore seek the cooperation of all members of the public to exercise their rights to use the reservoirs facilities and waters carefully. And also to help us by alerting the PUB or the Police if they notice anyone behaving suspiciously or in an unsafe manner in the vicinity of our reservoirs.

Mrs Chiam has asked about the impact of these incidents on our water quality, and this indeed is a serious issue, and is the second point that I want to elaborate on. Fortunately for us, all these incidents have occurred in reservoirs containing raw water, that is, untreated water. Before water reaches the taps and our glasses, it has to undergo several steps of filtration and chemical disinfection in order to ensure that it is safe to drink. PUB continually monitors water quality in all our reservoirs and in our treatment plants to ensure that water is safe for consumption. Reservoir water is chemically treated, filtered, and disinfected in our waterworks to a high standard, well within World Health Organization's Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. This treatment process eliminates the bacteria which may be found from decaying organic material found naturally in the reservoirs' ecosystems. The treated water is tested daily for many chemical and biological parameters. PUB also engages an External Audit Panel, comprising local and international experts, to independently assess the toxicology, water quality and chemistry of our water. We would like therefore to assure the public that the recent incidents, although tragic, have not compromised the safety of drinking water for the public.

Mrs Lina Chiam (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, I thank the Minister for answering the question. May I ask: did the Government intensify its water purification after five bodies were discovered at Bedok Reservoir? This is a serious matter, even if one ant drops into my water, I would not want to drink it. Did the Government intensify the purification of the water? Or was it just the normal process? Secondly, would the Government form a task force comprising experts and people who have overcome suicides to brainstorm for ideas and find quick solutions to stop this disturbing issue from happening again?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Sir, I thank the Member for those two questions. First, on the question of whether we intensified any activity: we certainly intensified all our measures to prevent these sorts of untoward accidents. So, we reviewed all the safety parameters, we increased patrolling, we increased lightings, we put up more signs. Specifically, on water safety, there was no need to change the operating procedure to filter, treat and check the water. We stepped up our monitoring and we ensured that everybody in the water treatment plants that are dealing with raw water from Bedok Reservoir, have complied strictly with all our procedures. But the standard operating procedure to ensure that the water is clean did not need to be changed.

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On the task force for suicide: I am glad the Member brought that up because in fact, this illustrates that this is a problem that goes beyond our reservoirs. In fact, it illustrates that there is this phenomenon of copycat suicides. And since I came from MCYS in the past, I can say that we know there have been other preferred modes of suicide which have been influenced by media coverage and the way it is portrayed to the public. So, even as we discuss a very serious topic here, we do not want to unduly raise publicity and seed ideas in people who may be depressed.

But the Member is quite right; the root of the issue is people who are depressed and who are having difficulty coping with life. We need a multi-pronged approach for this. We need, first, to let people know that help is available, that there are people – relatives, the community and the larger society – who are ready to reach out to help. One phone call, just speak to anyone. Secondly, the Member is also right that there are multiple factors that determine stress levels, the depression levels, or the propensity to suicide. We have studied this. I can say, categorically, that we do not have the highest suicide rate in the world. In fact, given our ethnic composition and our location in Asia, we are actually doing quite well. Anyway, the point here is that this is really a question that should be directed to MCYS, rather than for MEWR.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: Mr Speaker, Sir, since the media play a part in copycat suicides, I would like to ask the Minister if he would be working with his counterpart in MICA to work with the media on this aspect.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: One of the general rules in politics is never blame the media. To be honest with the Member, the media, in fact, have been very responsible in their reporting. The Member would notice that after the initial few cases, the media have toned down the highlighting of these incidents.