LOW WATER PRESSURE IN HOUSING BOARD FLATS

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development what remedial action the Housing and Development Board can take to increase water pressure for residents living in the upper floors, as the present low water pressure causes them considerable inconvenience.

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board will be taking steps to improve the water pressure at the top two floors of existing high-rise flats where the pressure is low. Additional mains and separate down-feed pipes for the top two floors will be installed. Work will commence in mid-1981 and will be completed by 1983.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Sir, this problem of low water pressure has been discovered not very long ago. Since the Hon. Minister for National Development has said that the HDB is going to rectify this defect, I hope the Minister can assure this House that steps will be taken as quickly as possible to relieve this problem of low water pressure faced by the residents, especially those who live in the upper floors of the various housing blocks.

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Sir, the number of high-rise blocks involved is very large. We are carrying out the work in stages. According to the HDB programme, by 1983 this problem of low water pressure at the top two floors in high-rise flats will be rectified. I am sorry to say that the other flat dwellers will still have to put up with low water pressure for a while.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: If that is the case, it does show that in the planning stage of the building of the blocks, vis-a-vis the water tanks and the piping, etc., there has been a defect in planning. So I would like to seek the assurance of the Hon. Minister for National Development that when the new towns are being planned this problem will not arise. I have in mind the Hou Gang New Town which will have 26,000 units. In the Punggol Housing Estate, which was built some seven years ago, I have a lot of complaints about low water pressure. Therefore, in the planning of the new towns, not only Hou Gang, but anywhere else, would there be adequate provision to ensure that the water pressure will not be low as to cause inconvenience to the residents?

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Sir, I can give the Member for Punggol the assurance that in the building of new flats this problem will be avoided.