Gwanak-gu All Staff Conduct Major Cleaning of Rainwater Drains to Prevent Flood Damage

All Gwanak-gu Staff Mobilize to Maintain Storm Drains with Residents to Prevent Flood Damage

On June 15, Coordinated Maintenance of Storm Drains in All 21 Neighborhoods Linked with Resident-Led Cleaning

Sewer Facility Maintenance Workers, Dedicated Storm Drain Managers Operated, Strengthened Management of Yellow Box Storm Drain Covers

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) has carried out extensive maintenance of storm drains as part of its full efforts to prevent damage caused by heavy rain this summer.

The district is taking proactive measures such as expanding the maintenance and dredging frequency of storm drains to ensure smooth drainage functions, prevent flood damage, and block odors caused by trash.

First, comprehensive maintenance was completed on 26,177 storm drain locations across the area, with an average of two cleanings per site conducted by the end of May.

In particular, on June 15, storm drain maintenance and cleaning were jointly conducted by the public and private sectors in conjunction with the monthly resident-led cleaning held on the third Thursday of every month.

From 7:30 a.m., about 1,000 members of professional and voluntary cleaning groups and approximately 1,500 Gwanak-gu staff participated in all 21 neighborhoods, removing sediment, cigarette butts, and other debris from storm drains and conducting surrounding area cleanups.

On that day, Park Junhee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, sequentially visited Miseong-dong, Jowon-dong, and Sinsa-dong to clean storm drains together with residents and inspected flood-prone areas and the status of flood prevention facility installations.

The district operates sewer facility maintenance workers and dedicated storm drain managers to provide year-round focused management in low-lying and flood-prone areas. During the summer rainy season, patrols, inspections, removal of illegal covers, and cleaning are intensified in areas where trash frequently accumulates in storm drains.

Additionally, to improve public awareness, the district has pilot-installed ‘Yellow Box Storm Drain Covers’ featuring designs that prohibit illegal dumping. Banners will also be installed in subway stations and commercial areas with high foot traffic to strengthen promotional efforts.

Mayor Park Junhee stated, “We have activated the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, led by the mayor, to prepare step-by-step measures and make thorough preparations to prevent disaster damage. Storm drains play a crucial role in preventing flooding during heavy rain, so I ask all residents to always remove covers and actively cooperate in cleaning the surrounding areas to ensure the drains function properly.”

Currently, the district established the ‘Gwanak-gu Disaster Safety Situation Room’ on May 15 to establish a 24-hour emergency response system throughout the year. The Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will operate centered on the Situation Room until October 15 to prevent flood damage from concentrated summer rains and typhoons.

Furthermore, flood prevention facilities such as openable security windows and water barriers are being installed free of charge in flood-damaged houses. The district is actively encouraging installation in households without these facilities and continues to accept applications.

Residents wishing to install flood prevention facilities can apply at the Gwanak-gu Water Management Division or their local neighborhood community service center.

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