SINGAPORE: In Singapore's south, heavy showers hit the island, with water levels rising past the three-quarter mark at Sungei Pandan Kechil waterway.
Around 2km away, SMRT employees at one-north MRT station, located underground, prepare themselves for possible flooding.
When floodwaters show no signs of abating, the flood response team is activated to report to the station, where they start installing metal barriers at the station's entrances to prevent water from entering.
This is the scenario the team is prepared for.
With heavier rainfall expected in Singapore due to climate change, the transport operator is shoring up its defences against flooding.
Intense rainfall has resulted in flash floods in parts of Singapore, particularly low-lying areas, in the past few months.
To mitigate the risk of this affecting daily living, Singapore's national water agency PUB works with businesses, communities and operators of critical infrastructure to get them ready for floods.
In an exercise simulating a flood on Thursday (Dec 12), SMRT staff at one-north station demonstrated to the media the installation of a stackable metal barrier at one of its entrances to prevent water from inundating the premises.
"The rainfall in recent years has become more intense. Our flood response teams and good working condition of our flood barriers become even more important," SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai told the media on the sidelines of Thursday's event.
"We conduct regular flood preparedness exercises across all our lines to ensure that we can respond swiftly and effectively when needed and minimise any impact on our train services," he added.
SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai speaks to the media after an exercise to showcase SMRT's flood response capabilities at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024 (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Staff undergo training on building flood barriers annually, while maintenance is also carried out each year.
On the government end, in addition to working with those operating critical infrastructure to ensure that they are prepared for floods, PUB conducts checks on their flood protection measures annually.
"This includes checking that the flood protection measures within the premises such as MRT stations are actually well maintained, and also witnessing the physical installation of our flood barriers by their staff," said PUB's chief engineer of drainage operations in its catchment and waterways department Lee Cai Jie.
He added that PUB required a more "stringent" minimum crest level for underground MRT stations compared to other basement facilities, such as car parks.
A crest level is the bottom level of any opening leading into or away from an underground facility, compared to the ground or road level.
In 2011, the crest level for underground MRT stations and road tunnels was also raised from 1m to 1.3m above the adjacent road or ground level.
This requirement explains why there are usually stairs leading to the entrances of underground MRT stations.
"This precautionary measure allows us to ensure that any flood waters from the road or surrounding areas will not go into the public transport system, thus keeping commuters safe as they travel from point to point," said Mr Lee.
PUB spokesperson Lee Cai Jie, the chief engineer of drainage operations in its catchment and waterways department, speaks to the media after an exercise simulating flooding at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024 (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
MRT stations with crest levels that fall below 1.3m are required to be equipped with flood barriers.
A total of 16 stations on the Circle Line, including one-north, have flood barriers installed. Of the other lines under SMRT, 15 stations on the East-West Line and three on the Thomson-East Coast Line have flood barriers.
Flood barriers can come in different forms – such as swing doors and sliding doors. Stackable barriers are used at one-north station, where a team of staff needs to lift and fit the barriers in place. It is the most labour-intensive type of flood barrier.
On the Thomson-East Coast Line, SMRT's latest flood barriers are designed to be able to be pulled up by a single person.
Meanwhile, MRT tunnels have sump pits where water can flow down into and collect. Once the water reaches a certain level in such a pit, a sump pump pumps water out to the surface and into drains. This is to keep the tunnel system dry.
These systems also have quarterly, six-monthly or annual maintenance regimes to ensure that they are working as needed.
A stackable flood barrier is installed across Exit B of one-north MRT station, during an exercise to showcase SMRT's flood response capabilities, on Dec 12, 2024 (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
one-north station has three locations with stackable flood barriers, including emergency exits and the escalator access at Exit B, where SMRT staff demonstrated how the barriers are installed.
The station monitors the threat of flooding via PUB's high water level alert system.
When the water level in Sungei Pandan Kechil waterway rises above 75 per cent, the station's operations control centre alerts its flood response team.
The water level at the Sungei Pandan Kechil waterway during a storm will affect SMRT's decision on whether or not to install flood barriers at one-north MRT station, which is about 2km away. (Image: Google Street View)
When levels exceed 90 per cent, the flood response team is activated to report to one-north station. Staff check the station exits every half an hour and the operations control centre keeps a close eye on exits via closed-circuit television cameras.
When surrounding canals are full, staff will position stackable barriers at designated entrances. At one-north station's Exit B, metal boards and columns are stored in containers located on both sides of the opening.
The team only starts installing barriers at the exit when surrounding roads and footpaths are submerged.
They start by installing columns into slots in the ground. Staff then slot metal boards into the spaces between the columns and lock them in place.
SMRT staff secure metal columns in slots in the ground during a flood response preparedness exercise at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024. After the metal columns are fixed, four layers of metal boards are slotted between them. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
After each layer is installed, staff run a light along the seam between the boards to check that the boards are watertight.
An SMRT employee uses a torch to conduct a "seal tight test" to check for gaps between the metal boards of a flood barrier during a flood response preparedness exercise at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Staff will leave a section of the barrier open so that passengers can continue to pass through.
The flood barrier will only be fully installed if water levels rise past the midpoint of the stairs leading to the entrance.
An SMRT employee locks the compression levers which keep stackable flood barriers in place during the flood response preparedness exercise at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
During the exercise, a total of six staff members took around ten minutes to set up the barrier, although they could take up to 30 minutes during actual incidents.
During an actual flood, the Singapore Civil Defence Force would be informed, and commuters alerted via station announcements.
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Around 2km away, SMRT employees at one-north MRT station, located underground, prepare themselves for possible flooding.
When floodwaters show no signs of abating, the flood response team is activated to report to the station, where they start installing metal barriers at the station's entrances to prevent water from entering.
This is the scenario the team is prepared for.
With heavier rainfall expected in Singapore due to climate change, the transport operator is shoring up its defences against flooding.
Intense rainfall has resulted in flash floods in parts of Singapore, particularly low-lying areas, in the past few months.
To mitigate the risk of this affecting daily living, Singapore's national water agency PUB works with businesses, communities and operators of critical infrastructure to get them ready for floods.
In an exercise simulating a flood on Thursday (Dec 12), SMRT staff at one-north station demonstrated to the media the installation of a stackable metal barrier at one of its entrances to prevent water from inundating the premises.
Related:
TRAINING, CHECKS FOR FLOOD MEASURES
"The rainfall in recent years has become more intense. Our flood response teams and good working condition of our flood barriers become even more important," SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai told the media on the sidelines of Thursday's event.
"We conduct regular flood preparedness exercises across all our lines to ensure that we can respond swiftly and effectively when needed and minimise any impact on our train services," he added.
SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai speaks to the media after an exercise to showcase SMRT's flood response capabilities at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024 (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Staff undergo training on building flood barriers annually, while maintenance is also carried out each year.
On the government end, in addition to working with those operating critical infrastructure to ensure that they are prepared for floods, PUB conducts checks on their flood protection measures annually.
"This includes checking that the flood protection measures within the premises such as MRT stations are actually well maintained, and also witnessing the physical installation of our flood barriers by their staff," said PUB's chief engineer of drainage operations in its catchment and waterways department Lee Cai Jie.
He added that PUB required a more "stringent" minimum crest level for underground MRT stations compared to other basement facilities, such as car parks.
A crest level is the bottom level of any opening leading into or away from an underground facility, compared to the ground or road level.
In 2011, the crest level for underground MRT stations and road tunnels was also raised from 1m to 1.3m above the adjacent road or ground level.
This requirement explains why there are usually stairs leading to the entrances of underground MRT stations.
"This precautionary measure allows us to ensure that any flood waters from the road or surrounding areas will not go into the public transport system, thus keeping commuters safe as they travel from point to point," said Mr Lee.
PUB spokesperson Lee Cai Jie, the chief engineer of drainage operations in its catchment and waterways department, speaks to the media after an exercise simulating flooding at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024 (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
MRT stations with crest levels that fall below 1.3m are required to be equipped with flood barriers.
A total of 16 stations on the Circle Line, including one-north, have flood barriers installed. Of the other lines under SMRT, 15 stations on the East-West Line and three on the Thomson-East Coast Line have flood barriers.
Flood barriers can come in different forms – such as swing doors and sliding doors. Stackable barriers are used at one-north station, where a team of staff needs to lift and fit the barriers in place. It is the most labour-intensive type of flood barrier.
On the Thomson-East Coast Line, SMRT's latest flood barriers are designed to be able to be pulled up by a single person.
Meanwhile, MRT tunnels have sump pits where water can flow down into and collect. Once the water reaches a certain level in such a pit, a sump pump pumps water out to the surface and into drains. This is to keep the tunnel system dry.
These systems also have quarterly, six-monthly or annual maintenance regimes to ensure that they are working as needed.
A stackable flood barrier is installed across Exit B of one-north MRT station, during an exercise to showcase SMRT's flood response capabilities, on Dec 12, 2024 (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
HOW BARRIERS ARE INSTALLED
one-north station has three locations with stackable flood barriers, including emergency exits and the escalator access at Exit B, where SMRT staff demonstrated how the barriers are installed.
The station monitors the threat of flooding via PUB's high water level alert system.
When the water level in Sungei Pandan Kechil waterway rises above 75 per cent, the station's operations control centre alerts its flood response team.
The water level at the Sungei Pandan Kechil waterway during a storm will affect SMRT's decision on whether or not to install flood barriers at one-north MRT station, which is about 2km away. (Image: Google Street View)
When levels exceed 90 per cent, the flood response team is activated to report to one-north station. Staff check the station exits every half an hour and the operations control centre keeps a close eye on exits via closed-circuit television cameras.
When surrounding canals are full, staff will position stackable barriers at designated entrances. At one-north station's Exit B, metal boards and columns are stored in containers located on both sides of the opening.
The team only starts installing barriers at the exit when surrounding roads and footpaths are submerged.
They start by installing columns into slots in the ground. Staff then slot metal boards into the spaces between the columns and lock them in place.
SMRT staff secure metal columns in slots in the ground during a flood response preparedness exercise at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024. After the metal columns are fixed, four layers of metal boards are slotted between them. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
After each layer is installed, staff run a light along the seam between the boards to check that the boards are watertight.
An SMRT employee uses a torch to conduct a "seal tight test" to check for gaps between the metal boards of a flood barrier during a flood response preparedness exercise at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Staff will leave a section of the barrier open so that passengers can continue to pass through.
The flood barrier will only be fully installed if water levels rise past the midpoint of the stairs leading to the entrance.
An SMRT employee locks the compression levers which keep stackable flood barriers in place during the flood response preparedness exercise at one-north MRT station on Dec 12, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
During the exercise, a total of six staff members took around ten minutes to set up the barrier, although they could take up to 30 minutes during actual incidents.
During an actual flood, the Singapore Civil Defence Force would be informed, and commuters alerted via station announcements.
Continue reading...