Singapore, 6 December 2021 – Sports and recreation instruction company Happy Fish Swim School Private Limited (Happy Fish) was convicted on 23 November 2021 for the illegal disposal of hazardous substances into public sewers. As a first-time offender, Happy Fish was slapped with a fine of $6,500.
2. On 5 March 2021, a Happy Fish employee illegally disposed about 45kg of calcium hypochlorite into the sewers at their premises at Jurong Gateway Road, and used a fire hose to flush water down the sewer. SCDF and PUB were alerted to the incident when alarmed residents in the vicinity reported the case after hearing a loud explosive sound.
3. Calcium hypochlorite is a chemical commonly used for pool sanitisation and maintenance. This chemical is highly reactive and corrosive and must be handled in a safe and proper manner. The improper disposal of calcium hypochlorite into the sewers exposed it to organic matter present in used water. This caused a chemical reaction that created a loud explosive sound and released a large volume of chlorine gas into the sewers. The incident did not cause any casualties nor damage to the sewerage system.
4. Investigations by PUB revealed that Happy Fish did not have a Written Approval from PUB to discharge trade effluent into the public sewers. They had disposed hazardous substances into the sewers, instead of engaging a Toxic Industrial Waste Collector to do so. For the illegal disposal of hazardous substances into the sewers – Happy Fish had contravened section 16A(1)(a) and committed an offence punishable under 16A(5)(a) of the Sewerage and Drainage Act. There were also several safety lapses found on Happy Fish's premises concerning the proper use, storage, and disposal of chemicals. These lapses include a lack of secure facilities for proper storage of chemical products, no training nor documentation provided to employees assigned to handle hazardous chemicals, and lack of monitoring systems to prevent and deter unauthorised access to stored chemical supplies.
5. “The disposal of hazardous substances into the sewers is an irresponsible act that can adversely affect the operational integrity of the public sewerage system, disrupt the used water treatment process, and severely endanger the health and safety of the workers maintaining the system. Companies are responsible for ensuring that all trade effluent is adequately treated to comply with discharge requirements before being disposed into the sewers, and that hazardous substances such as used oil, spent solvents and leftover chemicals are properly segregated and collected by the appropriate licenced waste collectors. PUB takes a serious view against the illegal disposal of hazardous substances into the public sewerage system and will take enforcement action against any companies caught breaking the law," said Maurice Neo, Director of PUB's Water Reclamation Network.
6. Following this incident, a joint circular from the relevant government agencies1 was issued to all swimming pool operators and owners on the safe use and disposal of chlorine-containing chemicals for disinfection of swimming pools. The circular contains instructions on appropriate safety and security measures to be taken when handling chemicals, and gives clear instructions on the proper disposal of unused or unwanted chlorine-containing chemicals which should never be disposed into the sewers.
7. Under the Sewerage and Drainage Act, the penalty for first time offenders for the illegal disposal of hazardous substances that may pose danger to the safety and health of people or any part of any public sewerage system, is a fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. Members of the public are encouraged to report incidents of illegal discharge of non-compliant trade effluent or disposal of dangerous and hazardous substances into the sewers to PUB's 24-hour call centre on 1800-CALL-PUB (1800-2255-7821800-2255-782).
Footnotes:
[1] the circular, dated 19 May 2021, was jointly issued by NEA, PUB, MOM, SCDF and SPF. It is available on NEA's website: https://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/our-services/guidelines-on-use-of-chlorine-containing-chemicals-for-disinfection-of-swimming-pools.pdf
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