Pandan Smell In Tap Water Purged From System, PUB To Enhance Treatment Process

PUB Has Flushed Pandan Smell From Singapore’s Water System

Over the course of the week, some families reported a curious ‘pandan smell‘ emanating from tap water flowing from household sinks.

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) previously explained that the odour arose from an organic compound – tetrahydrofuran (THF) – which was safe for consumption.

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If you still preferred the clean, crisp taste of Singapore’s H2O however, we have good news for you.

All service reservoirs, distributions networks & water tanks have successfully been flushed to remove trace amounts of this compound from the water system.

Here’s PUB’s Facebook post dated 24 Jul in full. We summarise their explanation on what to do if you still detect it & preventive measures below.

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Pandan scent in water traced to Johor supply

After detecting the pandan scent in water, PUB traced the compound’s origin to Johor’s supply.

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The next step was to flush out our service reservoirs, distribution networks & water tanks across the island to remove traces of THF.

In the meantime, PUB also assured citizens that the water was still safe for consumption, earlier this week.

Can drink straight from the tap again

Currently, the quality of water supply delivered to our heartlands remains within a “normal and acceptable range”, shares PUB.

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New imports from Johor have also tested positively and PUB is satisfied stocks are of “good quality”.

So you can confidently drink potable water straight from the tap, as PUB will no longer provide “water bags to customers”.

Flush your taps for 5 mins if a smell lingers

PUB concludes their post by explaining that if any pandan scent or smell were to linger — it’s probably because of “remnant water in house pipes”.

Residents are advised to run their taps for 5 minutes, to cleanse the system of any lingering odours.

Water safety efforts continue

Apparently, THF’s presence wouldn’t have been detected by screening technology at the moment. PUB shares that they isolated the source as quickly as possible & conducted “extensive flushing in several locations” to purge the compound from the system.

But efforts to keep our water supply safe & secure continue, as local water production was also “ramped up”.

Gunong Pulai waterworks
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To conclude this case, PUB will work with Malaysian authorities to enhance the treatment process so similar incidents won’t occur again.

Pandan still smells best in chiffon cakes

We’re glad that the issue has been resolved for now & citizens can once again enjoy Singapore’s water straight from the tap.

For families who still wish to enjoy the calming scent of pandan IRL, you can consider other alternatives — like homemade chiffon cake or soy milk.

Did you detect the scent of pandan in your household over the past week? Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

Featured image adapted from PUB on Facebook & Lim Biow Chuan on Facebook.