Teck Whye Lane resident queries PUB over frequent water meter replacements

SINGAPORE:  A resident of 110 Teck Whye Lane has raised questions with the Public Utility Board (PUB) of Singapore regarding the justification for the frequent replacement of water meters at his residence, despite their apparent good condition.

Expressing frustration, the resident, Mr Lee Leng Kok noted that his home’s water meter has been replaced three times in less than a decade.

Mr Lee, who is an audio restoration specialist, recently took to Facebook to raise concerns about the cost of these replacements and the lack of transparency in how old water meters are handled by the PUB, suggesting that taxpayers’ money might not be used efficiently in this regard.

In the latest replacement, the reason given in a statement received by Mr Lee from PUB justified it as “due for change.”

He asserted that he has always been very conservative in water usage, even collecting and using water used to clean vinyl records to flush the toilet.

Since it’s just him and his mother staying together, he believed that water consumption should be relatively low compared to others.

He also shared a photo of the latest water utility bill, indicating that within six months, his household water usage ranged from 5.2 to 10.2 cubic meters, which is relatively lower than the neighbourhood average usage of 14.5 cubic meters.

He expressed frustration about the frequent replacement of water meters at his home despite his efforts to conserve water.

“Once, I asked the worker who was replacing it, why do the seemingly new water meters need to be constantly replaced? He said because our water meter runs slowly, so the PUB thinks it’s faulty and needs to be replaced with a new one.”

He pointed out the inconsistency in the reasoning provided to him, as water meters with higher usage should theoretically run faster and require replacement.

However, he observed that his neighbour’s water meter looks old, seemingly used for quite a time, yet they are not asked to replace it.

He highlighted the irony that his efforts to conserve water resulted in the frequent replacement of water meters.

Mr Lee also expressed concern about the disposal of old water meters and questioned whether the PUB has a proper plan for handling them, considering the potentially significant cost involved.

He emphasized the importance of responsible use of taxpayers’ money in such matters.

PUB is ongoing to install about 300,000 smart water meters in Bukit Batok, Hougang, Jurong West, Tuas, Tampines, and Tengah by 2023 under the first phase of the programme.

A Smart Water Meter records the volume of water used and transmits the data remotely to PUB daily via the digital communications network, thus removing the need for manual readings.

Such data would enable PUB to better optimise water demand management and customers to better track and manage their water usage habits.

However, concerns about water and electricity consumption are rising among ordinary Singaporeans, particularly as Singapore plans an 18% increase in water prices between 2024 and 2025.

The upcoming price adjustments will see households paying an additional 20 cents per 1,000 litres of water in 2024, followed by a further 30 cents in 2025.