Daejeon Sewage Treatment Plant Modernization 'Groundbreaking'... "Target Completion in 2028"

The modernization project of the Daejeon Sewage Treatment Plant has been launched in earnest. It is the first time in 12 years since receiving approval from the Ministry of Environment, and the core of this project is to integrate and relocate the existing sewage treatment plant and night soil treatment plant to the Yuseong area.

Daejeon City announced on the 17th that after reviewing the construction commencement report submitted by the private investment project operator for the modernization of the Daejeon Sewage Treatment Plant facilities, it was notified as "appropriate," and construction began on the 30th of last month.

Perspective view of the sewage treatment plant in Geumgo-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, to be completed in 2028. Provided by Daejeon City

Currently, land compensation and securing access roads for construction vehicles to start full-scale construction are underway. The construction period is 60 months, with the goal of completion around October 29, 2028.

The Daejeon Sewage Treatment Plant modernization project will proceed with a total project cost of 717.6 billion KRW, relocating and integrating the existing Wonnchon-dong sewage treatment plant and Ojeong-dong night soil treatment plant to the Geumgo-dong area in Yuseong-gu. The facility capacity will be approximately 650,000 cubic meters per day.

Daejeon City plans to introduce advanced construction methods to build the sewage treatment facilities underground and modernize them to fundamentally block odor generation.

Additionally, ecological parks and leisure spaces will be created above ground to transform the sewage treatment plant from a stigmatized nuisance facility into an eco-friendly green resting place frequently visited by citizens.

The Wonnchon-dong sewage treatment plant, which is scheduled to relocate to Geumgo-dong, began operation in 1989. Currently, problems such as deterioration of water treatment functions due to aging facilities and increased operating costs have become significant.

Above all, the location, which was on the outskirts when the sewage treatment plant was constructed, now borders large-scale apartment complexes, leading to an increase in residents filing odor complaints.

However, the Wonnchon-dong sewage treatment plant is an open-type facility, and simple facility improvements have limitations in fundamentally solving the odor problem. This is one of the reasons for relocating the sewage treatment plant.

Location map of Daejeon Sewage Treatment Plant. Provided by Daejeon City

Accordingly, Daejeon City commissioned a study in 2011 to reestablish the sewage treatment system and decided on a complete relocation approach for the project direction. The following year, the Ministry of Environment approved the relocation plan for the Wonnchon-dong sewage treatment plant.

Also, to resolve the relocation cost issue, from 2016, the project direction was reviewed as a private investment project, laying the foundation for solving a long-standing local issue.

Daejeon City expects that once the sewage treatment plant relocation is implemented, it will not only establish a stable sewage treatment system but also fundamentally resolve the odor problem. Furthermore, it anticipates a triple benefit including economic effects such as job creation and securing land resources for the re-creation of the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone.

Jung Haegyo, Director of the Environment and Greenery Bureau of Daejeon City, said, “It is meaningful that the sewage treatment plant modernization project has completed all administrative procedures and can put an end to long-term delays.” He added, “Currently, among the 14 construction investors involved in this project, 8 companies are local firms, and Daejeon City will actively support more local companies to participate as subcontractors in the future.”

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