Liat Towers has installed and tested a new anti-flood system, in time for the wetter weather ahead.
This is to prevent flooding, which caused severe damage to its basement shops in June.
The building’s management has taken steps to ensure such a catastrophe will not happen again. They are hoping a $200,000 barrier system (picture), which literally, “pops up” from the ground, will keep the water out. During dry weather, the barrier lies flat on the ground.
When Liat Towers receives heavy rain warnings from PUB through SMS alerts, a security officer will perform a visual check to determine if flood waters are indeed threatening the building. The barriers are then activated if the situation calls for it.
The product manager of Parafoil, the manufacturers of the barrier system, Mr Jwee Quek, said all that is needed to activate the system is to turn a key switch.
“Once that is done, an alarm - the sound of a horn - will go off to warn people to move away from the area,” he said.
A total of 19 panels will be released from the ground, forming a 54m long barrier against rising waters, in just 15 seconds. The height of each panel is 80cm.
“Rain water will be collected by the panels, each of which can hold up to 260 gallons. When the weather clears, a plug is pulled and the water will be discharged into an underground canal,” said Mr Quek.
And once the water levels have receded, Liat Towers can let shoppers and pedestrians gain access to the basement shops, by lowering a couple of the panels.
Mr Quek said that his company’s anti-flood system is also being installed in a condominium along Bukit Timah - an area which is also prone to flooding.
After the prime Orchard Road shopping belt was hit by flash floods in June and July this year, national water agency PUB announced plans to raise Orchard Road by 30cm.
The $26 million flood alleviation project is expected to be completed in six months’ time.
