exploringsingapore is exclusive ExplorerSG mini series where we reveal some of the lesser-known places, facts and history of Singapore.
Ever wonder why the streets along Orchard Road are no longer floods during intense downpour?
After the heavy floods in Orchard road in 2010 and 2011, the Stamford Detention Tank (SDT) and Stamford Diversion Canal (SDC) were commissioned to help keep Orchard Road flood-free.
The two drainage projects cost $227 million and were completed in November 2018, four years after its initial construction..
The 2km-long SDC divert up to 30% of excess water from Holland Road, Napier Road and Grange Road to the Singapore River, easing the load on the main Stamford Canal.
On the other hand, the 30-metre deep, 38,000-cubic metre (the capacity of 15 Olympic sized swimming pool) large SDT serves as a temporary storage for excess stormwater. The excess water discharges into the SDC when sensors detect that surrounding drains fall to a low enough water level. The tank is located discreetly below Botanic Garden’s National Orchid Nursery and the Learning Forest Coach Park.
(Image credits: Urban Redevelopment Authority, Public Utilities Board)
