Seongdong-gu Emergency Response Team Quickly Thaws Frozen Water Pipes, Receives Strong Resident Support

Operation of 'Emergency Dispatch Team' Begins to Assist Residents Facing Frozen Water Pipes
Six Teams Comprising 12 Skilled Technicians Each, Ready to Respond Immediately Upon Report Without Waiting

The Emergency Dispatch Team of Seongdong-gu Urban Management Corporation is thawing frozen water pipes on the 13th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) has started the ‘Visiting Thawing Support Service’ on the 12th to assist vulnerable households struggling with frozen water pipes due to the cold wave, receiving great responses from residents.

With heavy snowfall last week and a cold wave approaching minus 20℃ continuing day after day, many households suddenly experienced frozen water pipes, causing inconvenience to residents.

The temperature is forecasted to drop again this weekend.

In response, Seongdong-gu formed six emergency dispatch teams with 12 specialized technical personnel from the Seongdong-gu Urban Management Corporation, establishing a system to immediately respond to residents’ reports of frozen water pipes.

When water pipes freeze, a flood of reports can cause residents to wait in line, enduring long periods without water, and the inconvenience can be even greater for households vulnerable to cold waves.

The emergency dispatch teams visit the reported households immediately upon receiving a call, inspect the condition of the water pipes, and promptly take initial measures such as thawing the frozen pipes.

Additionally, if repair costs arise due to damage to meters or other equipment, support for repair expenses can be provided in connection with Seoul-type emergency welfare support.

On the 13th, Mr. Kim, an elderly resident of Seongsu-dong who received support after his water pipe froze, said, “With COVID-19, heavy snow, and the cold wave, I have been staying home every day recently, but the frozen water pipe made it impossible to wash or cook, causing great difficulty.” He added, “I reported the frozen pipe in urgency, but was told I would have to wait several hours. However, after calling the local community center, they came right away and solved the problem,” expressing his gratitude.

Residents wishing to use the emergency dispatch service can call or visit their local community center. A district official explained, “The newly launched ‘Visiting Thawing Support Service’ will be conducted regularly every winter.”

Meanwhile, since 2018, Seongdong-gu has operated the ‘Chakchak Seongdong Living Civil Complaint Mobile Unit’ to assist vulnerable households such as people with disabilities and elderly living alone, promptly resolving small inconveniences in daily life such as difficult light bulb replacements, washbasin and water pipe repairs, and installation of insulating air caps and curtains. Last year alone, 815 services were provided to 453 households.

Seongdong-gu Mayor Jung Won-oh stated, “We will continue to strive to quickly resolve the inconveniences and difficulties in the daily lives of each resident through lifestyle-oriented services tailored to the season and circumstances.”

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