Yeongdeungpo-gu Creates 'Waterway Garden' in Sister Neighborhood Park

August 28 Completion Ceremony for Model Project Utilizing Leaked Groundwater at Seoul Saetgang Station
Resident Experience Programs with Citizen Gardeners and Yeongdeungpo Village Gardeners
Secured 1.8 Billion KRW in National Funds through Agreement with Ministry of Environment, Seoul City, and K-water in April Last Year to Create 'Waterway Garden'
Created Climate Mitigation Cooling Fog, Waterside Pergola (Cooling Rest Area), Providing Rest Spaces Amid Heatwave

Milky Way Road

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced on the 28th that it officially opened the ‘Waterway Garden’ to residents through the completion ceremony of the ‘Seoul Saetgang Station Discharged Groundwater Utilization Model Project’ held at Yeouido Sister Neighborhood Park (Ankara Park).

The district was selected for the Ministry of Environment’s ‘Discharged Groundwater Utilization Model Project,’ which only two local governments nationwide were chosen for. In April last year, it signed an agreement with the Ministry of Environment, Seoul City, and the Korea Water Resources Corporation, securing 1.8 billion KRW in national funds to newly create the ‘Waterway Garden’ at Yeouido Sister Neighborhood Park.

According to a Ministry of Environment survey, discharged groundwater amounted to more than 140 million tons annually as of 2020, but only 11% is utilized, while 89%, or 124 million tons, is discharged into sewage pipes or nearby rivers.

Seoul Saetgang Station, located in Yeouido, generates 1,800 tons of discharged groundwater daily due to the development of nearby lines such as Daebang Station and the Sillim Line. The Waterway Garden was created by actively utilizing the discharged groundwater from Saetgang Station, which had previously been released into the river.

Yeouido Sister Neighborhood Park, where the Waterway Garden is located, is a park established to commemorate the sister city relationship with Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and this significance is also reflected in the Waterway Garden.

The ‘Waterway Garden’ visually expresses the deep friendship and harmony between Korea and Turkey through a crescent moon-shaped Wolseongji fountain symbolizing Turkey, an artificial stream called Milky Way, a crescent moon-shaped cooling fog, and a sunrise pond with a water curtain symbolizing the rising sun.

Additionally, a waterside slope where discharged groundwater flows down the wall is installed, allowing visitors to enjoy various water features utilizing discharged groundwater, such as cooling fog for temperature reduction, a beautifully designed water curtain, and flowing water channels.

Especially next to the ‘Waterway Garden,’ a traditional Turkish vineyard house (Ankara House) has been built, offering visitors even richer attractions. After signing a business agreement with the Turkish Embassy in June to promote the operation of Ankara House, the district completed internal and external environmental maintenance and plans to open it regularly after October.

The Waterway Garden broke ground in October last year, completed construction in August this year, and held a completion ceremony on the 28th. About 200 people, including Lee Seung-hwan, Director of Water Use Policy at the Ministry of Environment, Park Heung-bong, Director of Waterfront Sensory City Division at Seoul City, Oh Seung-hwan, Head of Han River Basin Headquarters at Korea Water Resources Corporation, Murat Tamer, Ambassador of Turkey to Korea, and local residents, attended the ceremony to celebrate the completion together.

At the ceremony, residents participated in experiential programs such as ‘Making Cute Flower Hats’ and ‘Little Gardener Pot Making’ with citizen gardeners and Yeongdeungpo village gardeners, while children from nearby daycare centers enjoyed water play by dipping their feet in the artificial stream called ‘Milky Way.’

Waterway Garden Panorama

Since declaring ‘Garden City Yeongdeungpo’ in May this year, the district has been vigorously advancing toward becoming a garden city, cultural city, and healthy healing city by creating the Waterway Garden at Yeouido Sister Neighborhood Park, following the Mullae-dong Flower Garden, the opening of the Garden Culture Center, and the Moss Garden.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “This project is an exemplary case that can simultaneously practice resource circulation and environmental protection,” adding, “I hope everyone enjoys the various water features of the Waterway Garden and takes a relaxing break from the summer heat. We will do our best to manage it so that it becomes another landmark of Yeongdeungpo-gu following the Mullae-dong Flower Garden.”

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