Sewage water overflowing from the toilet is the stuff of nightmares. Not only is it difficult to clean up, but there is also a dreadful stench that accompanies it.
Unfortunately, this was what happened to a coffee shop in Clementi when their business was disrupted by an overflow of sewage water.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
As a result, the hawkers suffered heavy losses — up to S$6,000 in one day.
Shin Min Daily News reports that the incident occurred in a coffee shop at Block 170 Clementi West Street 2.
The sewage water flooded the entire floor of the coffee shop, preventing customers from approaching the stalls.
When reporters visited the premises on Sunday (9 Oct), the ground was covered in water and the coffee shop was cordoned off with tape to prevent customers from entering.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
At the drinks stall near the toilet, the depth of the water reached around 4cm high, so employees had to walk around in rain boots.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, Ms Shi, the owner of the coffee shop, said that the sewage water started overflowing from the men’s toilet on Saturday (8 Oct).
She immediately alerted the relevant authorities to the matter.
Since the employees have their own waterproof plastic shoes, they can still deliver food to the customers waiting outside, she added.
Ah Jie, an employee at the economy rice stall, said that they were unable to wash and fry the vegetables.
Thus, after selling out the first batch of ingredients, they decided to close the stall for the day.
“We lost at least S$5,000 to S$6,000 in income today,” Ah Jie shared.
Employees of another stall were worried that the food would be contaminated by the sewage water, leading to hygiene issues.
Ms Shi is now understandably concerned as she is unsure how to handle the losses from each of the stalls. She hopes that authorities can resolve the issue quickly.
Ms Shi suspects that the flooding occurred due to a blockage of the sewer well nearby.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Thus, it was unable to drain the sewage water, causing it to overflow into the coffee shop.
“Similar incidents have happened before, but the sewage water usually overflows from the sink, and authorities deployed assistance very quickly,” she said.
The sewer well is cleaned monthly and was only dredged last week.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
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