Seoul City to Reduce Water Charges for Small Business Owners from July... 28 Billion KRW Burden Decrease Over 6 Months

50% Reduction in Water Usage Charges from July to December for Small Business Owners Struggling Due to COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 16th that it will reduce water usage charges by 50% for small business owners for six months from July to December. This measure aims to alleviate the economic burden on small business owners struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Seoul expects that approximately 257,000 water connections used by small business owners will benefit from a total reduction of 28 billion KRW. For general use consuming 100 tons (㎥) per month, a reduction of 294,000 KRW (49,000 KRW per month) will be applied over six months, and for bathhouse use consuming 700 tons (㎥) per month, a reduction of 864,000 KRW (144,000 KRW per month) will be provided.

This measure will be implemented either automatically or through application. Automatic reductions apply to general and bathhouse water connections using an average of 300 tons (㎥) or less per month. In such cases, no separate application is required, and the reduction will be applied automatically. Residential (household) use, public use (schools, hospitals, military bases, etc.), and temporary water supply such as construction sites are excluded from the reduction.

Even if general or bathhouse water connections use more than 300 tons per month, small business owners as defined under Article 2 of the Small and Medium Enterprise Basic Act can receive reductions by applying separately. The application period is from July 1st to March 31st of next year. Applications can be submitted by obtaining related documents from the Arisu Cyber Customer Center, or by phone or in person at the relevant waterworks office.

By applying only once during the period, applicants can receive a 50% reduction on water usage charges for six months from the July billing cycle this year to the December billing cycle next year, regardless of the application date. From the 21st, customers can check their eligibility for automatic reduction and application by entering their customer number and water user name on the Arisu Cyber Customer Center.

Kim Tae-gyun, Head of the Seoul Metropolitan Waterworks Headquarters, said, “We hope this water charge reduction will help small business owners facing economic difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic,” and added, “We will actively guide all eligible recipients to ensure no one misses out on the reduction benefits.”

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