Following feedback from residents, the Jurong-Clementi Town Council (JRTC) collaborated with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and a refuse removal contractor to resolve the odour issue arising from the Pneumatic Waste Collection System’s (PWCS) bin centre at Block 221A in Yuhua.
Some of the measures taken include increasing the frequency of changing the filters, installation of a mechanical ventilation system, test-bedding the use of plasma technology, and installation of an odour eliminating system. The filter room was also expanded to improve the odour treatment during the PWCS operation.
All these measures were completed on 4 Dec 2019. With the improved treatment and new facilities at PWCS, environmental and sanitary issues associated with the open refuse collection methods have been significantly reduced. The estate is cleaner, with fewer pests and waste spillage during refuse collection. The new system also reduced the demand for manual labour. Surveys have also been conducted with residents living in the vicinity and they agreed that the odour is less intense than before.
Nonetheless, there are still incidents of bulky items being disposed of through the refuse chute at the residents’ units that can cause the system to choke. During the clearing of these items, there will inevitably be odour when the vent is opened.
JRTC will continue to work with the relevant agencies to introduce more ways to improve this issue for the well-being of residents. The joint efforts undertaken by JRTC and HDB won the annual Municipal Services Awards, which aim to recognise inter-agency collaboration in delivering municipal services that place residents’ interests at the core.
