PUB has prosecuted 38 companies between June 2018 and May this year for illegal trade effluent (liquid waste) discharge offences, the national water agency said in a press release today. The fines came up to a total of S$253,700, and names included BreadTalk, Tat Seng Packaging Group, NSL Oilchem Logistics, KMS Industrial, and Metal Treatment Technology.
The offences, discovered during site inspections and via PUB’s surveillance of the public sewerage system, ranged from the discharge of trade effluent containing regulated metals or chemical substances exceeding allowable limits to those containing dangerous substances or volatile organic compounds. Actions like these can cause fires in the sewers and possibly threaten PUB’s treatment of used water.
Among the 38 on the list, 18 were repeat offenders, including BreadTalk, which was fined a total of S$16,300, and Tat Seng Packaging Group, which was fined S$14,100.
PUB said it carries out surveillance of trade and industrial premises through regular inspections. Besides being slapped with harsh penalties, recalcitrant and high-risk companies will also have their names entered into PUB’s surveillance list, subjecting them to more frequent inspections.
Under the Sewerage and Drainage Act, the illegal discharge of trade effluent containing dangerous or hazardous substances into the public sewer comes with a fine of up to S$50,000 for first-time offenders and a maximum fine of S$100,000 for repeat ones.
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