After a heavy downpour, the waterways often turn brown. This is because silt gets washed down from exposed earth surfaces and construction sites. To tackle the problem of silty discharge, PUB has been working with the stakeholders on education and engagement, technology upgrading, and encouraging good Earth Control Measures (ECM) practices. However, the management and treatment of sludge and bentonite waste from bore-piling works, diaghragm wall construction are not to be included in the ECM.

On a broader basis, ECM is meant to be implemented within a construction site to ensure that any water will be duly treated and checked to contain less than the authority allowed 50 mg/litre of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) before allowing it to be discharged out into the public drains, example in concrete structure demolition works.

Building contractors are required to submit an ECM plan to PUB, designed and endorsed by a Qualified Erosion Control Professional (QECP), and implement the ECM plan before the start of any construction work.

For more information, please refer to the PUB Website.

Complication of ECM Submission Report

The followings shall form the contents of the report:

• Contractor’s endorsed cover letter
• Endorsed ECM Submission Checklist (by QECP & Contractor)
• Endorsed ECM Report
• Endorsed ECM Drawings & calculations
• Topographical Survey Plan (if available)
• Bore-log Report
• Valid QECP’s Certificate
• ECM Treatment Plant Brochure
• COP Extracts (Surface Water Drainage) – Manning’s & Rational Formulas
• Rainfall Intensity VS Duration Graph, determination of K value graph