Persistent stench of urine plagues Woodlands residents despite complaints and CCTV surveillance

SINGAPORE: For nearly a year, residents of a block of flats in Woodlands have been battling an overpowering smell of urine that refuses to go away, despite repeated complaints to the town council, appeals to their Member of Parliament, and even police reports.

The stench, which many say is at its worst near the second-floor elevator lobby, has left residents feeling sick, frustrated, and helpless.

When an 8World reporter visited the block recently, she observed that the odour hit as soon as he climbed the stairs to the second floor. The pungent smell seemed to emanate from the garbage chute area, though a closer inspection did not reveal any obvious urine stains on the floor. For residents who live on this level or need to wait daily for the elevator, enduring the stench has become part of their routine.

One resident, who has lived there for over a decade, said the problem started about a year ago. “The smell is very, very strong, so it’s hard to breathe while we’re waiting for the elevator to go up,” she told 8World, “I don’t really understand why there are two cameras but they still can’t catch it.”

According to her, complaints were filed with the Sembawang Town Council and the MP several times. In response, the council put up a notice at the elevator area warning against urinating in public spaces. However, the situation has not improved.

Another resident living directly opposite the garbage chute said the problem had become almost a daily ordeal. “I am closest to it and I can smell it almost every day,” she said, “They install this and that and ask the cleaners to come and clean it up, but there is no improvement. It has always been this smelly and no one can catch them.”

Some residents speculated that discarded diapers from a nearby kindergarten could be the source of the odour. However, when asked, the kindergarten firmly denied any wrongdoing and explained that all used diapers are securely packed into bags, placed in covered bins within the premises, and later sent to the HDB’s garbage collection point.

Sembawang Town Council confirmed that it had installed CCTV surveillance in the area but said that the cameras had so far failed to detect any suspicious activity. The council told 8World that it would be taking further steps to tackle the issue, such as adjusting the positioning of cameras and fencing off some areas.