Today, Singapore is recognised globally as a clean and green city with a high standard of public health. We aim to maintain this good reputation by continually striving for higher environmental and public health standards. We also aim to progress into a society comprising of environmentally responsible citizens in an effort to achieve environmental sustainability.

Main Focus of EHD

The two key areas of focus and emphasis in the EHD are: 
i.   Surveillance.
Real time data is harnessed to formulate pre-emptive and preventive measures for various public health problems.
ii.   Community Involvement. 
This involves engaging and empowering the community - the people sector, the private sector and the public sector (3P). By working closely with the Community Development Councils, Town Councils, grassroots organisations and residents, NEA's Regional Offices serve as a one-stop contact point for all environmental issues.

Overview of EHD

The Department's HQ operates from ENV Building (40 Scotts Road #21-00, Singapore 228231) overseeing the operation of 5 Regional Offices, which are drawn along the same boundary lines as the Community Development Councils:

To find out which Regional Office is in charge of your premises, please enquire with our NEA Call Centre at 1800-2255 632 or email us at Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg.

EHD HEADQUARTERS

The Department's sections at the headquarters are:
a)   Operations
b)   Facilities Planning and Development
c)   Drinking Water Unit
d)   Quality Service Unit

a) Operations

The Operations section consists of the Ops (Policy and Planning) Unit, the Ops (Intelligence and Analysis) Unit and the Ops (Support and Readiness) Unit. This section collates and analyses information on vector breeding, complaints on public cleansing, food and environmental hygiene and other environmental health issues, for the purpose of trend projection and early warning, as well as formulation of operational policies and procedures. It also manages the Situation Room to provide real-time monitoring of the vector and disease situation, islandwide, in the region, and around the world.

b) Facilities Planning and Development (FPD)

FPD oversees the day-to-day operations and maintenance of government cemeteries, crematoria and columbaria. It also plans and executes development projects, including renovation, repair and redecoration of facilities under the Environmental Health Department. In addition, FPD advises Qualified Persons and other agencies on building plans and/or waiver applications concerning environmental health matters and calls tenders for the Environmental Health Department.

c) Drinking Water Unit (DWU)

The DWU’s function is to regulate the quality of piped drinking water supplied or sold by various suppliers in Singapore, including the Public Utilities Board. The DWU conducts audits and inspections to monitor the quality of piped drinking water, and provides Secretariat support to the Technical Committee on National Drinking Water Quality Standards. 

d) Quality Service Unit

The Quality Service Unit handles complaints, feedback, MP and other appeals from the public received via direct telephone calls, emails, faxes and letters. Besides these, the section also handles feedback from the MCYS Feedback Unit, media requests and Forum Page letters. 

REGIONAL OFFICES (ROs)

The mission of NEA's Regional Offices (ROs) is to create a high standard of public health that is sustainable and enjoyed by everyone living, within each region served by the Regional Office.
The ROs consist of the following sections:
a) 3P Partnership
b) Quality Service, Surveillance and Intelligence
c) Food Hygiene
d) Sanitation and Vector Operations

a) 3P Partnerships

This section collaborates with the various sectors in the community to resolve environmental health problems, participate in events organised with our partners and introduce new ideas to promote environmental health.

b) Quality Service, Surveillance and Intelligence

The main work scope of this Section is to gather historical and current data, do a comparative study and gather information relevant to its district. The data is analysed to ascertain if there is an imminent public health problem and, if so, to initiate appropriate pre-emptive corrective measures. The section also attends to complaints and feedback.

c) Food Hygiene

We carry out routine inspections and assess the effectiveness of our food hygiene programmes and systems to ensure a high standard of food hygiene in food establishments. Food establishments are graded on cleanliness and hygiene standards, and food hygiene training is given to all food handlers in public eateries so that a high standard of personal and food hygiene is practised. 

d) Sanitation and Vector Operations

This section is responsible for ensuring a high standard of sanitation, i.e. a clean environment with low vector population. Officers conduct regular checks for vector breeding habitats, mosquito, rodents etc and to ensure contractors are performing satisfactorily in public cleansing services and crow culling. 


PORT AND AIRPORT HEALTH

The Port & Airport Health section carries out quarantine functions to prevent the introduction of dangerous infectious diseases into Singapore. Click here to find out more about the services provided.


ADMINISTRATION

This Section oversees the management of the administration and logistics support of the Regional Office to ensure that it functions efficiently and that resources are managed in compliance with HR and financial policies/procedures.  In addition, this section also undertakes the planning and monitoring of staff deployment and career development to ensure that officers are trained to perform their respective functions effectively.