TSS and CCTV monitoring for Earth Control Measures.
When the TSS reading goes over 50 mg/L, the system shuts the treatment plant down, diverts the silty water to the holding pond and sends an alert to your phone. The CCTV is linked to PUB’s Silt Imagery Detection System. We install it and keep it calibrated for the life of your project.
PUB’s rules for silt leaving a site.
Earth Control Measures (ECM) are PUB’s requirements for keeping silt from construction sites out of the drains, waterways and reservoirs.
Silt and flooding
Silt washed off exposed earth settles in drains and waterways after heavy rain. It reduces how much stormwater the drains can carry, which raises the risk of flash floods. Two-thirds of Singapore's land area is water catchment, so silty water can reach the reservoirs.
Source: PUB, Earth Control MeasuresThe ECM plan comes first
The contractor engages a Qualified Erosion Control Professional (QECP) to design the site's ECM plan. The contractor submits the endorsed plan to PUB. The measures must be in place before any earthwork starts.
Sources: PUB, Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage, clause 6.3.3 · SCAL-PUB ECM guidebook, Annex 1The discharge limit
Water discharged into a public drain must not contain more than 50 mg/L of total suspended solids.
Source: PUB press release, 8 November 2024CCTV linked to SIDS
Sites of 0.2 hectares and above must have CCTV at the public drain, linked to PUB's Silt Imagery Detection System. SIDS analyses the snapshots for silty discharge.
Source: PUB, Silt Imagery Detection SystemThe system stops silty water reaching the drain.
A TSS sensor reads the treated water continuously. Above 50 mg/L, the system acts at once, day or night, and alerts your ECM staff.
50 mg/L
- Treatment plant
- Running
- Motorised valve
- To the public drain
- Discharge to the drain
- Flowing
- Beacon and sounder
- Off
- Alert to your phone
- None
50 mg/L
- Treatment plant
- Shut down
- Motorised valve
- Diverts to the holding pond
- Discharge to the drain
- Stopped
- Beacon and sounder
- On
- Alert to your phone
- Sent
The parts of the system.
We supply, install and commission the system at your discharge point, then calibrate and check it through the life of your project.
Sits in the treated water and reads suspended solids continuously.
Set up to PUB's SIDS requirements: a clear view of the discharge pipe, white LED lighting at night, and a snapshot to SIDS every 5 minutes.
Divert silty water to the holding pond when the reading goes over 50 mg/L.
Logs the readings, shuts the treatment plant down and sends the SMS alerts.
Show and sound the alarm on site.
Keep the CCTV camera running continuously, so its snapshots keep reaching SIDS.
What the system records.
TSS readings and CCTV snapshots are stored for the whole project.
Continuous record
TSS readings are logged around the clock, including nights, weekends and storms.
Alerts on your phone
An SMS goes to the people you name when the reading goes over 50 mg/L.
Snapshot archive
CCTV snapshots are kept by date and time. PUB can ask for 14 days of snapshots, to be supplied within 3 working days.
Contractors, site staff and erosion control professionals.
Construction sites that discharge treated water to a public drain.
Responsible for ECM on the site, including the CCTV PUB requires.
Get an alert to act on at any hour, with the readings and snapshots to check.
Specify treatment and monitoring that match the ECM plan.
Questions before you enquire.
Ask anything else in your enquiry.
What are Earth Control Measures?
Earth Control Measures (ECM) keep silt from a construction site out of Singapore's drains, waterways and reservoirs. The contractor engages a Qualified Erosion Control Professional to design the site's ECM plan and submits it to PUB. The measures must be in place before any earthwork starts.
What is the discharge limit?
50 mg/L of total suspended solids, for water discharged into a public drain. Our system acts at this limit.
What happens when the reading goes over 50 mg/L?
The treatment plant shuts down, the motorised valve diverts the silty water to the holding pond, the beacon and sounder come on, and an alert goes to your phone. When the reading falls back below 50 mg/L, power to the treatment plant comes back on and discharge resumes.
Does my site need CCTV?
Yes, if the site is 0.2 hectares or more. The CCTV must watch the discharge point at the public drain and be linked to PUB's Silt Imagery Detection System.
What does PUB require of the CCTV?
A clear view of the discharge pipe, painted with a blue marker, and white LED lighting at night. A snapshot goes to SIDS every 5 minutes, and snapshots are archived. PUB treats an offline camera or a faded marker as downtime.
Do you install it, or only supply it?
We supply, install and commission the system, then calibrate and check it through the life of your project.
Check your treated water on the spot.
MD50 Suspended solids
A portable meter to check your treated water before it reaches the drain.
View the MD50Turbidity and suspended solids
Handheld and laboratory instruments for turbidity and TSS.
Browse instrumentsAsk for a quotation.
Tell us about your site. We will reply with the cost to install the system and to keep it running.
Message or call for technical support, weekdays 9am–5pm SGT.
WhatsApp +65 9618 4674