The situation in Bidadari regarding odour generated as a result of a choked up Pneumatic Waste Conveyance System (PWCS) has improved since the implementation of mitigation measures, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said in his written answer to a parliamentary question on Sep. 18.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Potong Pasir SMC Sitoh Yih Pin had asked about the Housing Development Board's (HDB) assessment of the PWCS in Bidadari, and its plans to address issues like the choking up of the system and "putrid odours" emanating from the bin centres.

Sitoh also asked if HDB will consider taking action against its vendors to seek reimbursement on behalf of the Town Council for the costs incurred in taking additional mitigation measures.

Foul smells from PWCS in Yuhua and Bidadari

The PWCS is a centralised waste collection system which connects rubbish chutes in an HDB estate via underground pipes.

Waste is then channeled to a centralised bin centre by air pressure.

The system was first installed in an estate in Yuhua in 2015.

Since then, it has been implemented in new estates in Tampines North, Punggol, Bidadari and Sengkang.

The PWCS has ran into stinking trouble in several estates across Singapore.

According to news reports in 2019, Yuhua residents complained of putting up with foul smells for four years due to a malfunctioning PWCS.

Back then, residents revealed that bulky items like large soft toys, cardboards and mattresses fed into the PWCS choked up its pipe network, resulting in the foul odours.

In 2021, Bidadari residents made similar complaints of foul smells due to an overwhelmed PWCS, according to The