"Removing Dust and Cooling Urban Heat" ... Seoul City Introduces 'High-Pressure Water Spraying Equipment'

Operation of 'Permeable Block Void Recovery Equipment' to Remove Surface Foreign Substances and Increase Permeability
Equipment Operated for 8 Autonomous Districts and 13 Lines ... Completion by July

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has introduced a high-pressure washing device called the 'Permeable Block Pore Recovery Equipment' to prevent water from pooling on sidewalks after rain, expecting to simultaneously wash away fine dust and cool down roads heated during midsummer.

On the 25th, Seoul announced that it will operate the 'Permeable Block Pore Recovery Equipment' on a total of 13 routes (7 km in length / area of 23,890㎡) across 8 autonomous districts located in urban areas or with heavy pedestrian traffic, including the Dongjak-daero section from Isu Station to Sadang Station in Dongjak-gu.

Permeable blocks are one of the rainwater infiltration facilities for water circulation recovery, and unlike conventional general sidewalk blocks, they are functional pavement materials that absorb water. The Permeable Block Pore Recovery Equipment uses high-pressure water jets to wash away and suction wastewater from small gaps (pores) on the surface of the permeable blocks where rainwater seeps in, preventing them from being clogged by fallen leaves, foreign substances, or fine dust.

By introducing this equipment, the original function of permeable blocks?water drainage (permeability)?is greatly improved, helping to prevent flooding during rainfall. It also significantly reduces the inconvenience of shoes or clothes getting wet from rainwater pooled on sidewalks, creating a more pleasant walking environment.

When Seoul conducted a pilot operation of the equipment last year in the Majang-ro area of Seongdong-gu, about 252 liters of rainwater per hour infiltrated the ground before the equipment was operated, but after operation, infiltration increased up to 2.3 times to 576 liters per hour.

Additionally, the high-pressure washing removes fine dust accumulated on the sidewalk blocks and provides an urban heat island mitigation effect by cooling roads heated by the summer heat.

The city plans to invest 300 million KRW in the project and complete the application of the equipment on 13 routes, including the Isu~Sadang Station section, by mid-July before the rainy season. Quality testing services for each route will also be conducted to analyze the effects before and after equipment operation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.