PUB Launches Second Flood Resilience Campaign to Promote Community Preparedness
PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency has launched its annual Flood Resilience Campaign ahead of the onset of the northeast monsoon season. Into its second year, this year’s campaign theme of “Nobody needs to be the wet one out” promotes community preparedness by highlighting actions that pedestrians, motorists, as well as home and building owners can take to protect themselves and their properties from floods. Visuals reinforcing the F.L.A.S.H. mnemonic will be rolled out across various platforms to raise awareness.
In Singapore, sudden and intense rainfall can temporarily overwhelm drains and lead to flash floods. Climate change will exacerbate this by contributing to more extreme weather. In a highly urbanised city with limited land, expanding drains indefinitely to cater for every instance of heavy rainfall is not feasible nor cost effective. While PUB continues to future-proof drainage system and enhance flood monitoring and response, strengthening community resilience is crucial in Singapore’s collective effort to manage flood risks effectively.
Enhanced flood monitoring and alerts
PUB leverages technology to enhance rainfall forecasting and flood response capabilities. It integrates data from various sensors across the island, including more than 1,000 water level sensors (WLS) installed in drains and canals, over 500 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, rain gauges, weather radars and flood response vehicle locations. To strengthen flood monitoring, PUB will install 650 additional WLS across Singapore by end-2028. This expansion will bring monitoring coverage to approximately one WLS per kilometre of major waterways and canals, enabling faster detection of rising water levels and more timely deployment of Quick Response Teams (QRTs). Enhanced flood monitoring capabilities also help PUB to issue prompt alerts to the public so that they can better prepare and respond effectively in the event of floods.
Flood monitoring and response is one of the key areas of PUB’s work to mitigate the impact of flooding incidents. These sensors also support post-flood investigations and help us better assess the effectiveness of our drainage infrastructure.
Angela Koh, Deputy Chief Executive of PUB’s Flood Resilience cluster
The expanded WLS network will feed data into PUB’s Smart Drainage Grid, which analyses data from the WLS together with rainfall data from rain gauges, allowing PUB to identify flood causes and recommend improvement measures. PUB is also working with the Hydroinformatics Institute (H2i) and Starhub on a project using cellular signals to provide more accurate estimates of rainfall intensity. It is targeted for completion in end-2025, with potential for island-wide implementation.
In addition, PUB is working with Google to integrate flood alerts on Google Maps, allowing motorists and commuters to have access to flood information to plan their routes during rainy days. This builds on earlier partnerships with Grab’s mobile application and the Land Transport Authority’s Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) on-board units (OBUs) to disseminate flood alerts.
Community engagement to strengthen on-ground preparedness
Strengthening community resilience remains central to PUB’s efforts. PUB conducted a “Let’s Get Flood-Wise” community workshop on 8 November 2025 with Siglap Community Emergency and Engagement Committee (C2E), Eastwood Ria Residents’ Network and Siglap Community Club, building on last year’s table-top exercise at Victoria Junior College. About 25 participants brainstormed ideas to enhance community support during flash floods. PUB also recently held flood preparedness drills at a distribution substation on Enterprise Road and the Ba’alwie Mosque in Bukit Timah, both of which experienced flash floods in recent years. Engagements with schools in flood-risk areas within Bukit Timah are also underway to develop flood response protocols.
Sustained investments in drainage infrastructure
PUB maintains its commitment to improving drainage infrastructure while taking into consideration Singapore’s space constraints. For instance, PUB continues to upgrade drainage systems in areas like Bukit Timah with ongoing works along the canal and future plans for roadside drain expansions.
Recognising that comprehensive drainage solutions require substantial planning and implementation time, PUB proactively explores and implements targeted site-specific measures where possible to mitigate flooding impacts. Examples of such measures include diversion pipes to redirect the flow of excess stormwater to drains where additional capacity is available; and weirs and flood guard rails to slow down the flow of stormwater.
Through enhanced monitoring, real-time alerts, and community engagement, PUB is strengthening Singapore’s flood resilience. While the Government continues to strengthen flood resilience, the public, businesses and communities will need to be prepared for extreme weather events. Together, we can be ready for the future.