After a heavy downpour, the waterways often turn brown. This is because silt gets washed down from exposed earth surfaces and construction sites. To tackle the problem of silty discharge, PUB has been working with the stakeholders on education and engagement, technology upgrading, and encouraging good earth control measures (ECM) practices.

Silty runoff will turn the waterways brown and unsightly.

Good ECM practices prevent silty runoff and keep our waterways beautiful.
To promote awareness, PUB together with Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL), Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) and other public agencies, jointly holds seminars and sharing sessions on erosion and sediment control.
PUB also revised its Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage in 2007 to require contractors to implement best practices on ECM at worksites. Along with the revision, building contractors have been required to submit an ECM plan to PUB, designed and endorsed by a Qualified Erosion Control Professional, and implement the ECM plan before the start of any construction work. Requirements for ECM were further refined in the 2011 revision of the Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage.
The 5th edition of the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL)-PUB ECM guidebook, published in May 2018, is available for
download [PDF].