'Chalky water' seen at Waterway Point taps possibly due to air bubbles from maintenance works

Water with a milky appearance allegedly seen flowing from multiple taps in Waterway Point on Wednesday (Nov 19) was possibly a result of maintenance works on the water valves, a spokesperson for the mall told AsiaOne.

Preliminary assessment indicated that fine air bubbles may have affected the clarity of the water.

Ealgene Mok, a visitor to the mall in Punggol, had expressed alarm to AsiaOne on Nov 20 at the unusual appearance of the water.

"I first noticed the issue after observing that the tap water in the Basement 2 toilets appeared chalky and cloudy. It also had a slightly powdery touch," said the 40-year-old. 

Wanting to confirm whether the issue was isolated, she proceeded to the Basement 1 washroom, where she said she observed the same appearance from the taps.

"At that time, I spoke with a staff member from a cafe who also happened to be in the washroom," said Mok. 

She added that the staff member candidly shared that the cafe's tap had shown a similar chalky appearance since Nov 18. 

@ealgene Contaminated Water at Waterway Point - 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 ?????????❟ ?? ???????? ????: An unknown substance was discovered in the tap water flowing through pipes at both WaterwayPoint's Basement 1 and 2 toilets. The water appears chalky when dispensed from all the taps. Met one of the staff in the toilet, from a cafe at Basement 2, who candidly shared that their cafe's tap had a similar chalky appearance in the water ????? ??? ??? ?????? (???????❟ ?? ???). However, when asked why the café staff had not reported the issue to Frasers Property Management of WaterwayPoint, she quickly insisted that they boiled all tap water before using it for cooking or brewing beverages, and that their tap was clear of the suspicious water today (That seems instantaneous when the chalky tap water was still flowing through my hand as she speaks?!?). She then requested that I provide feedback to Waterway Point's management instead, which is rather concerning, yet appalling at the same time. Had the F&B outlets been informed of the seemingly contaminated water issue at all? Why does it take a customer to discover the suspicious tap water issue and report it to the relevant authorities, rather than the stall owners, cafe owners, foodcourt vendors, etc.? CC: #DPMGKY https://x.com/GANKIMYONG #waterwaypoint #singapore #wwp #punggol #punggolwaterway #waterwaypunggol #waterwaypointmall #NEA #PUB #contaminatedwater @nea_sg ‪@pub.singapore @frasers_property_home @todayonline @channelnewsasia @straitstimes @asiaone @mustsharenews @stompsingapore @mothershipsg ♬ original sound - ealgene

According to Mok, when asked why the cafe had not reported the issue to management, the staff member said that the cafe boiled all tap water before using it for cooking or beverages.

"The explanation that they boiled all tap water before use does not address the underlying concern," said Mok. 

"Boiling does not remove any unknown substances that may be present in the water, and therefore does not eliminate potential safety risks for consumers."

Mok added that she has also submitted feedback to the management but has yet to hear back from them.

"Public health should be a top priority. Many families frequent Waterway Point daily, and there is a preschool within the mall, making any potential water issue especially concerning," she said.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, national water agency PUB said it was alerted to a case of tap water appearing milky at Waterway Point on Nov 19 at around 8pm.

It was informed by mall management that maintenance work on the water service system in the east wing was carried out on Nov 17 and 18.

"If the pipes are not flushed thoroughly after such works, trapped air in the pipes may appear as tiny bubbles which give the water a milky or cloudy appearance. The water will clear up after a few minutes and it remains safe for consumption," it said, adding that its officers did not detect any abnormalities in the water supply from PUB’s water mains.

Waterway Point's spokesperson added: "The safety and well-being of our shoppers and the community are always our top priority.

"We have worked closely with national water agency PUB and our contractors to conduct a thorough investigation."

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com