Bishan void deck sees soap 'snowfall', possibly due to misconnected pipe
A mysterious source of soapy foam at a void deck in Bishan has left residents puzzled, with attempts to trace it back to the responsible household coming up empty.
Residents of Block 173 Bishan Street 13 told Shin Min Daily News that bubbles often seep from a water pipe, forming foam on the floor that looks like snow and makes it slippery.
Most residents interviewed were aware of the "snowflake" issue and said it has been recurring for years.
'Gave the illusion of snow falling'
A resident, who wanted to be known as Mr Loke, said he was walking through the area on the evening of Jan 29 and initially didn't notice the soap suds on the ground.
"Suddenly, some foam fell on my face. I looked up and saw a large amount of white bubbles floating in the air," said the 40-year-old engineer.
"It gave the illusion of snow falling."
A video provided by Mr Loke showed foam gushing from a water pipe in the void deck ceiling. Strong winds blew the suds onto the floor, where they slowly flowed toward a nearby drain.
Another resident, Ms Tay, 27, said the issue occurs once or twice a month, leaving an unsightly scene each time.
Housewife Mrs Manzula (transliterated), 50, noted that while the suds were not bothersome, the slippery floors posed a danger to children.
2nd-floor resident affected by foam
Though most residents were unaffected by the foam, it was a different experience for those on the 2nd floor.
Mr Hudaya, 63, said he was used to soap appearing in his unit monthly. While the soap was slippery, it was bearable as the foam stayed on the balcony and had no odour.
"The only inconvenience is that the bubbles emerge near where I put an altar. To prevent it from contaminating the altar, I need to use absorbent materials and prevent the foam from spreading. Since we all live in the same building and the other resident is just doing laundry, it's best to be accommodating," said the retiree.
Mr Hudaya added that since the foam is not a daily occurrence and was tolerable, he has never lodged a complaint with the town council.
Issue might be a wrongly connected pipe
Residents interviewed also revealed that the town council had previously conducted door-to-door inquiries and distributed flyers in an effort to address the issue.
According to the flyer, it is widely believed that a resident had wrongly connected their washing machine drain pipe to a water pipe meant to carry rainwater away from the block.
It is also believed that the household responsible occupies the 103 unit in the block, though the exact floor has not been determined.
During installation, plumbers typically refer to blueprints provided by architects to clearly understand how to install and connect pipes, a 55-year-old technician told Shin Min.
Pipes for rainwater drainage are clearly marked, leading the technician to suspect the washing machine at fault was installed by an unsuspecting owner.
"The foam issue likely stems from a resident incorrectly connecting their own pipes, causing washing machine foam to flow into the wrong drainage system and leak out through gaps."
Shin Min has reached out to the town council for comment.
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