More signs, NParks’ employees on patrol at Sembawang Hot Spring Park after feedback of ‘inappropriate behaviour’

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SINGAPORE — Visitors using the Sembawang Hot Spring Park have been cooking their eggs at a cascading pool and soaking their bodies in a bath meant for feet.

These and other misuse of the amenities have prompted the National Parks Board (NParks) to deploy more staff members on the ground to advise people on proper etiquette, and it has put up more signs with guidelines on using the amenities there.

In response to TODAY’s queries on Monday (Jan 20), NParks said that it had received feedback from the community on members of the public engaging in inappropriate behaviour since the opening of the attraction earlier this month.

The park was closed in August 2018 to undergo a S$4.3 million expansion and reopened with new features, the highlight being a cascading pool of spring water with a foot bath for people to soak their feet.

There is also a hot spring water collection point for visitors to collect the water in their own buckets and to use the water for their own purposes at rest areas in the park. People apparently like to use the water to cook eggs there.

However, NParks said that some members of the public have been found to be pouring “unwanted” hot spring water that they have collected on the plants in the park or into the pool — aside from the other behaviours mentioned earlier.

In a photo that was widely shared on social media recently, a man can be seen soaking his entire body in the communal foot bath.

NParks has since been cleaning the bath more frequently on occasions where there is higher visitorship at the park, it said.

In a reminder to the public to remain considerate, it said that visitors should observe the following etiquette:

• Cook eggs at the main water collection point with a separate receptacle provided for this purpose

• Not bathing, swimming or immersing oneself in the cascading pool for safety and hygiene purposes

• Emptying unwanted hot spring water into drains and not pouring it back into the pool or on the plants to keep the hot spring clean and allow the flora in the area to thrive

Mr Chuah Hock Seong, NParks' group director of parks, said that parks, gardens and nature areas in Singapore are “for all to enjoy” and the board encourages all visitors to be considerate of others when using the park’s facilities.

He added: “Visitors can also do their part by adhering to advisories on signs displayed in the park and advising others to practise good park etiquette.”