PUB officers clarify water meter replacements to Teck Whye Lane resident

SINGAPORE: On 1 April, A resident of 110 Teck Whye Lane took to Facebook to raise 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.

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, emphasized his conservative water usage habits, considering it should be relatively low, especially with only him and his mother residing together.

He recalled questioning a worker replacing his water meter about the need for frequent replacements despite their apparent newness. He was told that his meter running slow, and deemed faulty by PUB.

Interestingly, he noticed his neighbour’s old-looking meter remained untouched, highlighting the irony of his water conservation efforts leading to frequent replacements.

In a recent update, Mr Lee mentioned that two PUB officers had visited his home to explain why the water meter had to be replaced.

In a Friday (12 April) Facebook post, Mr Lee noted that they told him they came across an online media shared his Facebook post and hence wanted to clarify some points with him.

According to their records, the officers clarified that Mr Lee’s home water meter had been replaced twice, not three times, over ten years.

They explained that ten years ago, the person responsible for inspection found the gears of the water meter broken, rendering it immovable, hence the replacement. The replacement was conducted by PUB’s contractor.

“I informed them that I did ask the repair personnel at the time, and they mentioned it was due to the slow movement of the meter,” Mr Lee told the officers.

According to PUB officers, in 2019, they discovered a batch of water meters with mechanical issues, prompting a large-scale replacement.

However since Mr Lee’s meter had been replaced less than four years ago, it wasn’t replaced in 2019.

Mr Lee was told that the recent replacement was due to another mechanical issue with his water meter.

The reason given in a statement received by Mr Lee from PUB justified it as “due for change.”

“Therefore, it wasn’t due to my belief that we used less water. I accepted their explanation since I’m not knowledgeable about these matters.”

He mentioned that the PUB officers acknowledged that his post on 1 April wasn’t intended as a complaint but felt it necessary to provide clarity regarding the water meter replacement.

“I informed them that a friend commented that despite low water usage during a three-month renovation, their water meter was also replaced. ”

“Other friends’ comments were similar, which led me to think that low water usage would result in water meter replacement,” he told the officers.

Despite the officer’s explanation, Mr Lee said he will continue the habit of conserving water.

“I sincerely appreciate PUB’s effort to send someone to explain. Clarifying the facts is necessary, provided they are indeed facts, ” said Mr Lee.

While explaining the water meter replacements to Mr. Lee, PUB officers mentioned a large-scale replacement due to mechanical issues.

Concurrently, in 2021, PUB initiated the installation of 300,000 smart water meters in areas like Bukit Batok and Tampines.

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.

In a Parliamentary written reply by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, then-Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in 2019, it was stated that SP Services, PUB’s billing agent, takes water meter readings once every two months.

In cases of exceptionally high or low usage detected by SP Services, both SP Services and PUB will conduct thorough checks and investigations. If a fault is found with the meter, PUB will arrange for its replacement.

Should a leak involving home water fixtures and fittings be suspected, PUB will notify the homeowner to address the issue.

Residents who suspect leaks in their homes can turn off all the taps in the house and check their water meters. If the water meter counter dial is still running, there may be a leak in the home. The resident should then engage a licensed plumber to trace and repair the leak.

Residents can also contact SP Services to request for the meter to be checked.