Zero Flood Damage... Yeongdeungpo-gu Begins Full-Scale Dredging in Preparation for Heavy Rain

Focused Management of Sewage Pipelines and Storm Drains Until May to Prevent Flood Damage

Comprehensive Measures Implemented Including Storm Drain Cleaning Day and Intensive Dredging in Flood-Prone Areas

Test Operation and Inspection of Four Sluice Gates on the 20th... Creating a Safe and Pleasant Yeongdeungpo

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) has designated the period until May as the ‘Focused Management Period for Sewage Pipelines and Storm Drains’ and is launching full-scale dredging operations to prevent flood damage caused by heavy summer rains.

Last August, the district suffered severe damage from record-breaking heavy rainfall, flooding 5,273 houses and 864 factories and commercial buildings. In response, the district has established comprehensive improvement measures including operating Storm Drain Cleaning Day, intensive dredging in flood-prone areas, and expanding the storm drain responsibility management system to thoroughly prevent flood damage and create a pleasant residential environment.

First, from March to August, local residents such as community leaders and professional organizations will voluntarily clean storm drains in vulnerable areas once a month. They will remove trash around storm drains near subway stations, traditional markets, and restaurant-dense areas, and collect any covers installed without authorization.

The district plans to intensively dredge 50 km of sewage pipelines and 25,516 storm drains across 18 neighborhoods, 28 main roads, and alleys within the district by May. While dredging of storm drains was previously conducted once before the rainy season across all areas, starting this year, dredging will be performed frequently in flood-prone areas for focused management.

The district will invest approximately 850 million KRW, an increase of 190 million KRW from last year’s budget, to dredge storm drains by December this year. This corresponds to about 45,000 dredging operations, or 1.76 times per each of the 25,516 storm drains, leading proactive flood damage prevention. Additionally, the expansion of continuous-type storm drains (linear drainage systems) will maximize road surface drainage and secure retention functions during heavy rains.

Furthermore, dedicated personnel will be permanently assigned to remove storm drain covers, the storm drain responsibility management system will be expanded, and patrols of storm drains will be strengthened during typhoon and heavy rain forecasts to thoroughly prepare for flood prevention.

On the 20th, the district will conduct test operations and inspections of four sluice gates within the area to prepare for the rainy season and floods. The sluice gates, which block river water from entering the city in case of Han River flooding, are located at Nodul-gil Entrance, Dangsan Entrance, Yeouido Entrance, and Yangpyeong Entrance. The district will focus on inspecting the operation of hoists, the condition of gates and seals, presence of foreign substances, and the status of water level gauges and guide signs to ensure thorough flood defense readiness.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “To prevent flood damage, we ask residents to immediately report any blocked storm drains to the Water Management Division. Through thorough pre-rainy season inspections, we will prioritize the lives and safety of residents and create a safe Yeongdeungpo.”

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