Jurong East HDB residents alarmed as year-long ground-floor leaks risk slips for elderly and children

SINGAPORE: Many residents are bothered because of suspected leaking from the ceiling of the activity area of an HDB flat in Jurong East, and this has been a concern for nearly a year. With this, many people are worried that residents, especially the elderly and the children, may slip and fall.  

As reported by Shin Min Daily News, a 74-year-old driver complained that the ceiling of the activity area on the ground floor of their HDB flat has a leaking problem, and when reporters visited the site, it was found that there is indeed a concern, given that there is water and moss is forming on the ground. 

The resident also pointed out that every Monday to Friday morning, a group of people would come to their place to do aerobics, and that the number sometimes reaches over a hundred. However, because of the lakes, people need to deliberately avoid the areas affected, which is very inconvenient. 

Furthermore, a 73-year-old resident admitted that the authorities had conducted repairs to the ceilings, but the leak continued even after. She believes that the leaks are from the water pipes in the kitchen or toilet of the second-floor resident, because the water still seeps in even when it is not raining. 

The Town Council then confirmed that they had received the feedback about the leak last May 2024 and identified the source after further investigation. With this, the authorities contacted the affected residents to arrange waterproofing repairs inside their units.

More so, to minimise the impact on residents, the town council has taken several temporary measures downstairs, into the relevant areas during the HDB renovation and repainting work in June last year. They also cleaned up the stains and applied anti-slip treatment to the ground.

However, due to the recent worsening of the water seepage, authorities need to conduct more direct repairs on the affected units. They have temporarily closed the affected area below the leak to ensure public safety.

Other related news 

In other similar news, there was a report where a resident of a Yishun HDB flat recently raised safety concerns after concrete blocks began falling from the ceiling of his unit, causing cracks in parts of the ceiling and walls. 

The building where the unit is located is said to be 42 years old, and when reporters visited the area, many residents unfortunately reported similar problems. 

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