Staff undergo training on building flood barriers annually, while maintenance is also carried out each year.
On the government end, in addition to working with those operating critical infrastructure to ensure that they are prepared for floods, PUB conducts checks on their flood protection measures annually.
“This includes checking that the flood protection measures within the premises such as MRT stations are actually well maintained, and also witnessing the physical installation of our flood barriers by their staff,” said PUB’s chief engineer of drainage operations in its catchment and waterways department Lee Cai Jie.
He added that PUB required a more “stringent” minimum crest level for underground MRT stations compared to other basement facilities, such as car parks.
A crest level is the bottom level of any opening leading into or away from an underground facility, compared to the ground or road level.
In 2011, the crest level for underground MRT stations and road tunnels was also raised from 1m to 1.3m above the adjacent road or ground level.
This requirement explains why there are usually stairs leading to the entrances of underground MRT stations.
“This precautionary measure allows us to ensure that any flood waters from the road or surrounding areas will not go into the public transport system, thus keeping commuters safe as they travel from point to point,” said Mr Lee.
