WATER DISTRIBUTION PIPES ON ROOF TOPS OF HDB BLOCKS (Insulation)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Acting Minister for National Development, besides painting white heat-proof paint on the pipes, what steps the Housing and Development Board has taken to adequately insulate water distribution pipes on the roof tops of HDB blocks so as to prevent the water supply from becoming uncomfortably hot.

The Acting Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, the problem of hot water is faced mainly by residents on the two top most storeys of HDB blocks, as these residents are served by separate water mains which are exposed to the sun. The water in these mains, which serve fewer units, is heated up faster compared with those in the main water mains.

To reduce the amount of heat absorption, HDB has painted all the water pipes in existing blocks with white paint. This has been found to be the simplest and most cost-effective way of lowering the water temperature. There have been few complaints of the hot water problem after this measure was taken.

For new HDB flats, HDB has successfully experimented with the use of UPVC half-round channels to cover the water distribution mains. This has been implemented in all new building contracts tendered from 1st September 1992 onwards.