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Water agency PUB pilots DIY flood panel to protect homes in flood-prone areas

SINGAPORE — In the past 45 years, his low-lying Kovan home has been hit by flash floods two or three times so Mr Lim Kheng Seah is pleased to be the first resident to try out a new “flood panel” being piloted by national water agency PUB.

The Dam Easy Flood Panel (pictured) is being piloted by national water agency PUB. The panels fit snugly into doorways, and are designed to keep flash floodwaters at bay in homes in flood-prone areas.

The Dam Easy Flood Panel (pictured) is being piloted by national water agency PUB. The panels fit snugly into doorways, and are designed to keep flash floodwaters at bay in homes in flood-prone areas.

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SINGAPORE — In the past 45 years, his low-lying Kovan home has been hit by flash floods two or three times so Mr Lim Kheng Seah is pleased to be the first resident to try out a new “flood panel” being piloted by national water agency PUB.

Called the "Dam Easy Flood Panel", it is designed to stop water flowing into homes as more intense and frequent storms hit Singapore as a result of climate change, PUB said on Friday (Nov 22).

But Mr Lim, 47, is not entirely convinced of the “easy’’ part. Even for a man of adequate strength, he broke out in a sweat while installing the flood panel in the doorway to his kitchen. The panels are being trialled for one year.

Mr Lim Kheng Seah, 47, holding a pre-packed Dam Easy Flood Panel at his Kovan home. Photo Najeer Yusof/TODAY

Weighing 20kg, and about 60cm high, the flood panel would probably be difficult for the elderly at home to install on their own without any help, the engineer told TODAY.

“It needs a lot of effort to unpack and carry to the door, and also to dismantle,” he said.

PREVENT FLOODING AT HOME

From Friday, the water agency will be lending 15 more panels to residents and another four to shophouses in the eastern and central parts of Singapore that are flood prone, including Jalan Besar, Yio Chu Kang and places off Still Road and Sims Avenue.

Mr Thomas Soh, senior principal engineer of drainage operations at PUB, said that as flash floods on Singapore roads typically do not exceed 40cm, the Dam Easy panels should suffice for indoor spaces.

For Mr Lim, apart from the heavy lifting required, the process of installing the flood panels is simple and uncomplicated.

All residents need to do is to extend out the sides of the panel such that it fits snugly against the doorway and inflate the watertight seal around it. The panels will fit in doorways that measure 78cm to 110cm in width.

A PUB media release stated that the installation would take five minutes.

In response to Mr Lim's feedback on its weight, Mr Soh explained that flood barriers generally need some weight to counter the strong force of flood waters.

Despite its weight, Mr Lim still hopes that this new panel would save him the trouble of having to spend time and effort cleaning up his home after a flood.

Recalling earlier flash flooding episodes, he said: “Water came in until it reached just below our power socket... I was afraid of getting electrical shock.”

Mr Lim Kheng Seah's Kovan home in 2014 when it was hit by flash flooding. He hopes the panel will stop this happening again. Photo: Mr Lim Kheng Seah

When asked what PUB's plans are after the end of the one-year trial, Mr Soh said that the agency is still thinking through its approach.

“I think what we want to do here is also try to build up Singaporeans’ individual response and to get them to see that actually everyone can play a part when it comes to flood response,” he said.

“We also hope to let people living in landed houses be aware that there are these kinds of solutions out in the market. So they don’t have to wait for PUB, they can purchase these solutions,” he added.

Each flood panel costs S$1,200, including shipping and custom duties. For the trial, the residents do not have to bear any cost and they have to return the flood panel at the end of one year.

In addition to the 20 it has already bought from the manufacturer in the United Kingdom, Mr Soh said that the water agency is looking to buy 50 more.

FLOOD DIVERSION IN PUBLIC AREAS

PUB will also be using new portable flood barriers for the first time for the year-end monsoon season. The barriers have been on trial since June this year, and tested in simulation.

The purpose of these flood barriers, which are made in Sweden, is to divert flood waters heading in the direction of people’s homes, for example, to a nearby drain.

When activated, each PUB quick response team would be equipped with one set of these flood barriers, with each set having 10 pieces which extend to a distance of 6m.

Ahead of the upcoming monsoon season, PUB is rolling out new light-weight flood barriers to be carried by its quick response teams. Photo: Najeer Yusof/TODAY

Explaining how these flood barriers would work in a demonstration with the media on Friday, Mr Soh said that when the 10 pieces are joined together, the extended length of 6m can help to divert flood waters.

More pieces can be added to extend the length if required, he added.

Mr Soh was asked why these barriers were not used when there were flash floods around the island in June, which was when the trials started.

He replied: “It really depends on the situation on the ground. Not all the time this will be useful… So if there's no suitable place for us to channel the flood waters away efficiently, most of the time, we may just adapt and try to work with traffic police and the Land Transport Authority to try to close off the road”.

Standing 50cm high, the portable flood barriers would be enough to withstand the floods Singapore has seen, as the maximum height flood waters have reached so far is 40 cm, said Mr Soh.

Nevertheless, he added that PUB would want to explore other flood solutions that could deal with floodwaters that exceed a height of 50cm.

PUB has already purchased 15 sets of portable flood barriers, with plans to buy 35 more.

Each set costs S$3,800.

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PUB flood climate change storm

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