A woman in Singapore is troubled by the cleanliness of her home’s tap water, after seeing her water filter turn brown just a week after installing it.
Eeleenz, 42, aired her concerns on Facebook on Wednesday (11 March), asking: “Can we really drink water straight from the tap in Singapore?”.
“I have to waste water letting it run for a while before I use it,” she added.
In the post, Eeleenz shared a photo of her water filter which visibly looked discoloured.
Source: Complaint Singapore on Facebook
She shared that the filter had turned brown only after about a week of use, making her question whether the water from the tap is clean.
Eeleenz added that for both her basin taps, the water also runs brown when turned on.
Speaking to MS News, Eeleenz shared that she has lived in her current BTO residence for 12 years, and has always noticed brown water running from the faucets since they moved in.
“We tried changing a few taps and shower heads… it’s always like this,” she added.
Image courtesy of Eeleenz
Eeleenz said that she usually would have to wait about three seconds before the water turns clear.
“[That is] when we use it daily. If we’re back from holiday, it will be thick brown muddy kind of water, and we’d have to let it run about seven to eight seconds,” she explained.
The post garnered more than 250 comments online, with netizens reassuring that tap water in Singapore is indeed safe to drink.
Many speculate that the discolouration comes from the condition of the pipes, not the water itself.
Source: Complaint Singapore on Facebook
Another netizen suggested that she get her water tested to be sure, but reassures her that the water is safe to drink.
Source: Complaint Singapore on Facebook
Others claim to have shared the same experience, where residents of the same block experienced discoloured water coming out from their faucets.
Source: Complaint Singapore on Facebook
According to National Water Agency PUB, Singapore’s tap water is “monitored continuously” throughout the year to ensure high-quality drinking water is maintained.
“PUB has established a comprehensive and robust sampling and monitoring programme to ensure our water quality from source to tap,” it said.
Additionally, PUB states that drinking water is “normally clear, but very occasionally may appear discoloured or contain particles”.
Source: PUB
Some of the causes are “essential maintenance operations”. These include routine cleaning of water tanks, flushing of service pipes in buildings and fire hydrant testing.
Water discolouration can also occur due to internal fittings and installations.
If faced with discoloured water, PUB advise users to “run their taps and flush any water tanks inside their premises until the water runs clear”.
“While doing so, avoid using the water for laundry or any other purposes,” it said.
PUB added that if the water does not clear up after 10 to 15 minutes, users should reach out to PUB for assistance.
Also Read: 2 water supply disruptions reported on 28 Feb in Yishun & Jurong East, both due to pipe failure
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Featured image adapted from Complaint Singapore on Facebook.