Underground Syed Alwi pumping station completed, can hold up to 4 Olympic-sized pools of stormwater
SINGAPORE: The low-lying Jalan Besar area now has a fully automated facility that can hold up to four Olympic swimming pools' worth of stormwater in the event of heavy rains.
National water agency PUB on Monday (Jun 23) announced the completion of the Syed Alwi pumping station, which takes up about 1,190sqm underground or one-sixth of a football field.
Plans for the station were first announced in 2021, as part of Singapore's wider efforts to adapt to more frequent and intense rainstorms due to climate change.
This is Singapore's third pumping station. The other two, along Poole Road and Wimborne Road, were constructed in the 1990s to enhance flood resilience in the Tanjong Katong estate.
The initial plan for the site along Syed Alwi Road was for a detention tank, which stores water for an extended period.
A pumping station is different in that it continuously pumps out water and does not store it for a long time.
Jalan Besar is a low-lying area that faced flooding from the 2000s to 2010s, PUB said in a press release on Tuesday, noting that drains along Syed Alwi Road were already upgraded in 2014.
The road level was also raised to mitigate flooding in the area, and Rochor Canal was widened and deepened in 2015 to increase its drainage capacity, the press release read.
This enhanced flood protection in nearby areas, including Veerasamy Road, Hindoo Road and Desker Road.
Upgrading drainage infrastructure and raising the ground levels through redevelopment is not always feasible, as this depends on the site's limitations and land availability, said Ms Gayathri Kalyanaraman, deputy director of drainage planning at PUB's catchment and waterways department.
The Jalan Besar area illustrates this challenge, she added, noting that the drains and canal have already been upgraded, but any further enhancements would not be effective due to the area's low-lying topography.
'In consideration of the many heritage buildings in this area, the Syed Alwi pumping station is an alternative approach to provide adequate flood protection for the area without the need for redevelopment or to raise ground levels,' she said.
Two drains along Syed Alwi Road used to flow directly into Rochor Canal. But the canal also receives water from other areas, so if water were to build up during a heavy storm, it could cause water to back up in drains along the low-lying Jalan Besar area and parts of Little India.
This will now be countered with the new pumping station, which has two floodgates that will be shut to prevent the backflow.
During a storm, rain that falls over the area will flow into the pumping station through three inlets, diverting stormwater from upstream of Rochor Canal into an underground tank. The water will pass through metal grilles that can sieve out large debris.
Once the height of the water in the tank reaches 4.5m, the station will start pumping the water out to the downstream section of the canal.
The station is designed to integrate with nearby Build-to-Order flats that are currently under construction, with the additional inclusion of a green roof, an open plaza and a green wall, said PUB in the press release.
In a pre-recorded address played at the Singapore International Water Week on Monday (June 23), Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that strengthening flood adaptation and resilience is an "urgent priority" and the country is developing a national adaptation plan to guide long-term strategies.
"Floods, droughts, and extreme weather will keep testing our systems and our resolve. But they also present an opportunity for collective action. Not just by building more robust flood barriers, but by creating smarter systems, stronger communities, and weaving resilience into the way we plan, build, and live."
Ms Fu previously said in February that Singapore will spend about S$150 million (US$110.6 million) on drainage upgrading projects in the 2025 financial year, to strengthen the country's flood resilience amid increasing risks due to climate change.
PUB has taken a "multi-pronged approach" to enhance Singapore's flood resilience, she said at the time.
Since 2011, the government has spent about S$2.5 billion to upgrade Singapore's drainage infrastructure and is currently reviewing the drainage infrastructure plan for the next review cycle of 2026 to 2030, the minister had said.
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