Drain floods at Katong Shopping Centre leave foul stench, tenants say issue persists since January

Flood from drains in Katong Shopping Centre basement leaves sewage stench

Tenants at the basement level of Katong Shopping Centre are once again facing flooding caused by overflowing drains, with stagnant water pooling at least 1cm deep in their shops.

The issue, which typically occurs during heavy rain and high tide, has persisted despite earlier complaints in January 2025, when sewage water rose calf-high.

Drain overflow returns during high tide, shop owners frustrated

Shin Min Daily News reported that on 7 Nov, a 63-year-old grocery store owner, Mr Huang, contacted the paper after flooding reappeared outside his shop.

According to the video he shared, the drain water had risen high enough to submerge the wheels of his shelves.

Mr Huang said that even though there had not been heavy rainfall recently, the drains overflowed whenever the tide rose, causing repeated flooding in the basement.

He added that the stagnant water caused the metal wheels of his shelves to rust, a recurring problem that had previously forced him to replace them at his own expense.

When reporters arrived at about 1pm that day, most of the water had already been pumped out, though a faint stench of sewage still hung in the air.

A hair salon owner, Ms Zhang, 60, told Shin Min Daily News that the flooding problem had eased after the earlier report in January, but resurfaced again in early November.

Sewage, she said, would slowly spill from the drain in front of her shop each time the tide rose.

Management provides sandbags, but seawater backflow continues

Another business owner, who runs a massage parlour and declined to be named, said that flooding often occurred during high tide due to seawater backflow through the drainage system — a problem tenants could do little about.

They added that the mall’s management had been providing sandbags to affected tenants and deploying cleaners to remove standing water and keep the floor dry.

Reporters who visited the scene saw two cleaners washing the basement floor with cleaning agents.

When contacted by Shin Min Daily News, the person in charge of Katong Shopping Centre’s management declined to comment, saying only that they were “not in a position to disclose” before ending the call.

Katong mall flood previously reached calf height in January

In January 2025, sewage water from overflowing drains rose to calf height in the basement level of Katong Shopping Centre.

The flooding was so severe that tenants jokingly referred to the stairwell area as a “swimming pool”.

Some shop owners also said the foul smell lingered long after the water receded, comparing it to the stench of a toilet that seeped into the carpeted floors of their stores.

Grocery store owner Mr Huang told Shin Min Daily News that he had to close for two days due to worsening flooding, which made it impossible to operate his business.

Another tenant, aquarium shop owner Mr Zeng, said that while the water usually stayed along the walkway and seldom entered his shop, he worried about customers slipping and falling.

Also read: Eunos Crescent Food Centre affected by flooding, stallholder says business dropped by 80%

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.