Yeongdeungpo-gu Develops Nation's First Road Water Drainage Device

Patent Application for Drainage Device and New Construction Method Solving Road Water Pooling After Rain... Fundamental Solution to Odor and Trash Issues of Existing Storm Drains Using Eco-Friendly Permeable Aggregates... Construction Cost Reduced by Over 60%, Period Shortened from 2 Weeks to 1 Day

Officials from Yeongdeungpo-gu who developed the nation's first road water drainage device. The district has filed a patent for this and is also in the process of obtaining an international patent.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) has developed a drainage device and new construction method to resolve road water pooling caused by rain for the first time nationwide, and has even filed a patent application.

Until now, water pooling has occurred around public facilities frequently used by many people, such as crosswalks and bus stops, whenever it rains. This issue stems from design structures like curb lowering (eliminating the height difference between the road and sidewalk) intended to assist vulnerable pedestrians.

The pooled water caused inconvenience for pedestrians, and even after the rain stopped, the water remained stagnant, leading to foul odors and insect infestations.

This not only impaired urban aesthetics but also caused discomfort among residents, yet no adequate solution had been found so far.

Additionally, existing drainage facilities (rainwater inlets) caused problems with illegal dumping of various types of litter, including cigarette butts, and according to related regulations, they could not be installed in locations with heavy pedestrian traffic such as near crosswalks and bus stops.

To actively address these resident inconveniences, the district office broke down departmental barriers led by the Road Division and formed a task force team, engaging in proactive fieldwork that led to discovering a customized solution that resolved the longstanding difficulties at once. They succeeded in a job invention of an eco-friendly and smart technology-based water pooling drainage device.

The water pooling drainage device developed by the district uses an integrated connecting pipe, enabling construction within a day and drastically reducing construction and maintenance costs through this new method.

Moreover, by incorporating smart technology, sensors were applied to monitor the drainage function, allowing real-time monitoring.

The upper infiltration facility of the drainage device uses eco-friendly permeable aggregates mainly employed in riverbanks and estuary embankment maintenance, creatively concealing the drainage facility from view.

Also, by configuring the size of porous aggregates to allow detachment and cleaning, maintenance has become much easier, achieving a twofold effect of preventing illegal dumping and odors.

The construction cost is reduced by more than 60% compared to existing methods, and the construction period is shortened to one day. Previously, water pooling prevention construction involved simultaneous maintenance of gutters, curbs, and sidewalks, taking at least two weeks, during which residents had to endure inconvenience, making this new method highly efficient.

In May, the district first installed this device at the crosswalk in front of Yeouido Sambu Apartment, receiving great positive feedback from residents.

A resident running a store at a nearby commercial area said, “Due to COVID-19, customers have decreased a lot, which is worrying, but the water pooling at the crosswalk in front of the store during the summer monsoon season was even more troublesome. After the new construction, it looks like just flat ground from the outside, but water does not pool and quickly seeps in, which is very pleasing and satisfactory. I thank the district office staff who relieved the frustration we had felt.”

The district has completed the patent application for this water pooling drainage device, plans to encourage the employees involved in its development, and provide appropriate compensation. Furthermore, it plans to offer preferential treatment in personnel matters as a model case of administrative service that resolves resident inconveniences through proactive fieldwork.

The district expects that this water pooling drainage device development will not only resolve chronic resident inconveniences caused by water pooling but also fundamentally solve issues such as illegal dumping in rainwater inlets and sewage odors, while reducing considerable maintenance costs that had previously occurred.

Going forward, the district plans to select vulnerable areas where water pooling is expected, such as alleyway side roads and sections with lowered curbs between roads and sidewalks for vehicle passage, to pilot and expand the installation of the water pooling drainage device.

Additionally, aiming to gain global recognition for the excellence of this invention that solved water pooling problems at crosswalks and bus stops, an international patent application is also underway.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “This water pooling drainage device is a job invention achieved through proactive fieldwork to improve daily inconveniences,” and added, “We will continue to provide the best administrative services with an active attitude of finding answers on site.”

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