Seoul City to Replace 24km Large Water Pipes in Songpa and Gangdong Areas Used by 740,000 People Daily

Increased Need for Replacement Due to Long-Term Use of Water Pipes: 168.6 Billion Won Invested Over 6 Years... Systematic Maintenance Until 2028
Non-Excavation Pipe Insertion Method and Non-Stop Water Cut-Off Method Applied... Minimizing Citizen Inconvenience from Construction

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will invest a total of 168.6 billion KRW over 75 months from August this year until October 2028 to sequentially renovate 24 km of the Gwangam water system distribution pipelines. Once the project is completed, the stability of tap water supply used by 740,000 residents in the Songpa and Gangdong districts of Seoul is expected to improve significantly.

On the 13th, Seoul announced plans to renovate the entire 24 km of distribution pipelines divided into three sections by 2028. This includes two pipeline lines of the Gwangam Arisu Water Purification Center system: the Jamsil line (up to Korea Gas Safety Corporation) and the Ogeum line (up to Bongeun Reservoir), as well as the internal pipelines within the purification center. To ensure safe construction without interrupting tap water supply, the renovation will proceed sequentially in the order of Section 1 → Section 2 → Section 3.

Section 1, which will begin construction this year, is divided into two main segments: a 7.6 km stretch from Pungnap Intersection in Gangdong-gu to the Korea Gas Safety Corporation in Gangnam-gu, and a 1.3 km stretch from the Gwangam Arisu Water Purification Center to the entrance of Seobu Elementary School in Hanam. A total of 82.8 billion KRW will be invested to renovate the 8.9 km in these areas. Section 2, scheduled to start in 2026, covers a 5 km stretch from Mongchontoseong Station on Line 8 to Bongeun Reservoir in Samseong-dong, with a total investment of 36 billion KRW, aiming for completion by 2028.

Additionally, Section 3, also starting in 2026, involves renovating two parallel 2200 mm diameter distribution pipelines buried along Gangdong-daero, spanning 10.1 km from Seobu Elementary School in Hanam to Pungnap Intersection. A total of 49.8 billion KRW will be invested for this section. During the Section 1 construction, a detailed investigation will be conducted on the corrosion status of pipelines with the same installation year, material, and specifications as those being demolished. Rehabilitation methods such as internal coating of the pipelines will be applied to reuse them.

The construction will commence in August, prioritizing the replacement of 2.6 km of pipelines with appropriately sized ones. This includes a 1.3 km section between Tancheon 1 Bridge and Seokchon Gobun Station on Line 9, and another 1.3 km section from the Gwangam Arisu Water Purification Center (Gwangam-dong, Hanam) to Seobu Elementary School (Gangil-dong, Hanam).

The city will apply the Pipe Insertion Method (PIP) in this project, which minimizes citizen inconvenience caused by road excavation and significantly reduces construction costs. To ensure safe construction without interrupting tap water supply, the supply area of the Gwangam Purification Center will be switched to the Amsa Purification Center, so there will be no water outage inconvenience due to the construction. Furthermore, the city plans to minimize traffic disruptions caused by work shafts installed on roads for construction equipment and materials.

Given the high difficulty and large scale of the underground pipeline work over a wide area for an extended period, the city will implement special measures for construction quality, safety, and water quality management, ensuring meticulous construction management. For water quality management during construction, pipeline cleaning and water quality inspections will be conducted at each construction stage. In addition, the ‘Water Quality Information Analysis System’ will be used to monitor water quality changes in real time, detecting any abnormalities promptly.

Gu Ami, head of the Seoul Waterworks Authority, said, “Since this project aims to supply Arisu water more cleanly and safely, we will strive for thorough on-site management to secure water quality and prevent any water quality accidents during the construction period.” He also asked for the understanding and cooperation of citizens regarding any inconveniences during the construction.

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