Gyeonggi Province Strengthens Sewer Management for Flood Prevention, Including Rainwater Drain Maintenance

Gyeonggi Province is strengthening its management of sewer facilities to proactively prepare for extreme rainfall caused by climate change and to prevent ground subsidence accidents.

On June 19, Gyeonggi Province held a "Sewer Facility Management Inspection Meeting for Flood and Ground Subsidence Prevention" at the Gyeonggi Water Resources Headquarters. During the meeting, officials from city and county governments discussed specific management measures, and the province requested active preventive actions.

Previously, from March 24 to May 14, Gyeonggi Province inspected 542 sewer facilities that were either under construction or in operation. As a result, the province implemented preemptive preventive measures at 126 sites that required improvements.

In addition, ahead of the full-fledged rainy season, the province is operating a "Rainwater Drain Comprehensive Maintenance Week" from June 16 to June 27.

Cleaning and dredging of sewer pipelines in areas vulnerable to natural disasters and those at risk of flooding must be completed before the rainy season. For rainwater drains, ongoing management will be carried out, including cleaning inlets and removing unauthorized covers, to ensure their proper functioning.

In particular, the Gyeonggi Water Resources Headquarters urged residents to actively report clogged rainwater drains. Through the "Safety Sinmungo App," any resident can take a photo of a clogged drain with their smartphone and report it immediately. The location is automatically transmitted, allowing managers to be dispatched to the site for prompt action.

Promotional Poster for Creating Unclogged Rainwater Drains in Gyeonggi Province

To prevent accidents caused by manhole covers being dislodged due to excessive rainwater inflow during heavy rainfall, the province is also installing fall-prevention devices.

Fall-prevention devices have been installed on approximately 42,000 manholes located in low-lying urban areas and regions at risk of flooding, and the scope of installation will be expanded. Local governments that actively install manhole fall-prevention devices will receive incentives when sewer project budgets are allocated, as well as additional points when being selected for flood damage prevention projects.

In addition, Gyeonggi Province is conducting the first and second rounds of detailed inspections to diagnose the condition of sewer pipelines using closed-circuit television (CCTV) and other methods to prevent ground subsidence. The province is prioritizing the maintenance and replacement of 866 kilometers of facilities in need of urgent repair, investing a total project cost of 1.14 trillion won to carry out the aging sewer pipeline maintenance project.

Yoon Deokhee, head of the Gyeonggi Water Resources Headquarters, stated, "We will put the safety of our residents first, respond proactively, and work to prevent damage," and urged, "We ask for active participation and reporting from residents through the Safety Sinmungo App."

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