Printing company Tat Seng Packaging Group Ltd was fined $12,000 for multiple offences of illegally discharging toxic industrial used water into the public sewerage system.
The illegal discharge of industrial used water containing hazardous substances is a serious offence. It not only endangers sewerage workers, but also compromises the operational integrity of the sewerage network. Such acts also disrupt the used water treatment process at water reclamation plants and affect NEWater production.
On 25 Sep 2016, PUB detected an abnormality in the quality of the incoming used water at the Kranji Water Reclamation Plant. Subsequent investigations found that Tat Seng had discharged black and turbid industrial used water into the public sewer. Water quality tests showed that the discharge from Tat Seng’s premises contained quantities of copper, a regulated metal, that exceeded the allowable limit by as much as three times.
For the illegal discharge of industrial used water with excessive regulated metal and chemical substances, Tat Seng was charged with four counts of contravening regulation 10(1)(a) of the Sewerage and Drainage (Trade Effluent) Regulations. The company pleaded guilty to three charges and was fined $12,000. The remaining charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
This is not Tat Seng’s first offense. The company had been previously caught for discharging illegally into the sewers on four occasions between 2012 and 2015 and penalized.
Editor Note: $12,000 too little lah, macham peanuts to them that why this is the fourth time they committed this offense.
Seventeen other companies were also fined a total of $100,500 from November 2017 to February 2018 for illegal discharge offenses.
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AZ Bus Pte Ltd
The bus repair and servicing company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $6,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing regulated chemical compounds exceeding the allowable limits into the public sewer on 6 Jan 2016.
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Jurong Barrels & Drums Industries Pte Ltd
The drum collection company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $6,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated chemical compound exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer on 28 Feb 2016. Another charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
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Starcoat Pte Ltd
The electroplating company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $4,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing regulated chemical compounds and a metal substance exceeding the allowable limits into the public sewer on 7 Jul 2017.
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Sanmina-SCI Systems Singapore Pte Ltd
The circuit board printing company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $3,500 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated metal substance exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer on 19 Jul 2016.
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Finest Gold & Silver Refinery Pte Ltd
The electroplating company pleaded guilty to three charges and was fined $13,500 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated metal substance exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer in the period between 1 Dec 2015 and 14 Dec 2015. Another six charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
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ECO Special Waste Management Pte Ltd
The toxic industrial waste collection company pleaded guilty to two charges and was fined $10,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing prohibited volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the public sewer on 6 Jan 2016 and 15 Jan 2016.
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NK Ingredients Pte Ltd
The chemical manufacturer pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $7,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a prohibited VOC into the public sewer on 25 Feb 2016.
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Faci Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
The chemical manufacturer pleaded guilty to two charges and was fined $6,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing regulated chemical compounds exceeding the allowable limits into the public sewer on 24 May 2016. Another two charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The chemical manufacturer also pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $2,000 for discharging industrial used water into the public sewer without prior approval from PUB on 24 May 2016
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Bachun Food Industries Pte Ltd
The food manufacturer pleaded guilty to two charges and was fined $6,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing regulated chemical compounds exceeding the allowable limits into the public sewer on 28 Jun 2016. Another charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
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TCG Rengo (S) Limited
The printing company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $4,500 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated chemical compound exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer on 29 Dec 2016. Another charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
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Lian Seng Engraving Industry Pte Ltd
The electroplating company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $3,500 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated chemical compound exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer on 16 May 2017.
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JPN Industrial Trading Pte Ltd
The machine servicing and repair company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $4,500 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated chemical compound exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer on 21 Dec 2016.
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Atlas Paper Products (Pte) Ltd
The printing company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $4,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a regulated metal substance exceeding the allowable limit into the public sewer on 11 Jan 2017.
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That’s Electroplating Pte Ltd
The electroplating company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $4,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing prohibited VOCs into the public sewer on 3 Dec 2015.
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Powertech Technology (Singapore) Pte Ltd
The semiconductor company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $4,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing a prohibited VOC into the public sewer on 25 Mar 2016.
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Lusin Engineering Works
The machine servicing and repair company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $6,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing prohibited VOCs into the public sewer on 11 Oct 2016. Another charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
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Dynamex Engineering Pte Ltd
The machine servicing and repair company pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined $6,000 for illegally discharging industrial used water containing prohibited VOCs into the public sewer on 13 April 2016.
“PUB takes a serious view of the illegal discharge of hazardous substances into the public sewerage system. Public sewers convey used water to the water reclamation plants for treatment before safe release into the environment, or for further purification into NEWater. Hazardous substances in the sewage endanger the lives of our staff, upset our treatment processes and negatively impact the quality of feedstock for NEWater production,” said Mr Maurice Neo, PUB’s Director of Water Reclamation Network.
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