"Possibility of Ground Collapse" Hwaseong-si Conducts Emergency Inspection of Water Pipes in Preparation for Sinkholes

Investigation of 171km Large-Diameter Water Transmission and Distribution Pipelines and Suspicious Sections
Preventing Leakage by Early Replacement of Aging Water Supply Pipes

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 6th that it will conduct safety inspections of water supply and drainage pipeline installation sections before the Chuseok holiday to prevent the growing concern over 'ground subsidence (sinkholes)' following the recent accident in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul.

Sinkholes occur when heavy rainfall or leaks cause soil erosion, creating underground voids called cavities, which weaken the ground and lead to subsidence.

Hwaseong City will conduct an emergency inspection of major water supply and distribution pipes in the area to prevent sinkholes. Water supply leak repair work is underway on a road in Hwaseong City.
[Photo by Hwaseong City]

Through this inspection, the city will visually check for leaks in large-diameter water supply and drainage pipelines with a diameter of 500mm or more buried under roads, and excavate suspected cavity sections identified during last year's mandatory regular inspections to confirm ground subsidence.

Based on the results of a detailed investigation of aging pipes, the city plans to invest 5 billion KRW by the end of the year to complete the replacement of 11 km of old pipes, and will continue to sequentially replace urgently needed pipelines next year to prevent leaks.

Lee Sang-man, head of Hwaseong City's Clean Water Facilities Division, said, "This safety inspection aims to alleviate citizens' concerns about sinkhole occurrences," adding, "We will continue the old pipe replacement project to ensure stable tap water supply and do our best to prevent unexpected accidents."

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