Sokcho City Confirms 70,000-Ton Underground Modernized Sewage Plant, Resolving a 25-Year Challenge

Targeting Completion by 2033: Building Eco-Friendly Water Management Infrastructure
Sokcho City Accelerates Efforts for a "Clean City Without Odor"
Final Approval from Ministry of Environment for Relocation and Reconstruction of 70,000-Ton Facility
Proactive Response to Future Development Demands and Changing Living Environment, Including Major Rail Projects

Sokcho City in Gangwon Province has reached a major turning point in improving its urban environment by deciding to relocate and reconstruct its 70,000-ton capacity sewage treatment plant underground and with modernized methods by 2033.

Lee Byungseon, Mayor of Sokcho, is explaining the approval of the partial amendment to the Sewerage Maintenance Master Plan on the 11th. Provided by Sokcho City

This move is expected to resolve the structural limitations of the existing sewage treatment plant, which has caused odor and treatment burdens for 25 years, and accelerate the realization of a "clean city of Sokcho without odor."

Sokcho City received final approval for a partial amendment to the Sewerage Maintenance Master Plan from the Wonju Regional Environmental Office under the Ministry of Environment. With this approval, the plan to expand capacity by 24,000 tons in addition to the current 46,000 tons as of November 2023 has been finalized, and the full relocation and reconstruction of the facility has been officially decided.

This approval was based on the feasibility assessment for improving the aging sewage treatment plant, conducted according to the Ministry of Environment's guidelines for the Sewerage Maintenance Master Plan. To relocate and reconstruct the existing facility, a comprehensive evaluation of factors such as years in operation, aging, treatment performance, economic feasibility, and policy alignment is required, with a minimum score of 90 points. In this assessment, the project scored 95.1 points, significantly exceeding the standard.

The current Sokcho Sewage Treatment Plant has been in operation for 25 years, and its remaining service life is now estimated at less than 20%. The city has faced difficulties in stable operations due to excessive inflow of sewage during peak tourist seasons. In addition, there have been ongoing complaints about odor, increasing the need for large-scale facility improvements. Therefore, the city plans to do its utmost to ensure stable operation of the existing facility until the relocation and modernization project is fully underway.

Meanwhile, the 2023 approved plan called for a 24,000-ton capacity expansion using the existing facility, but concerns were raised about redundant investment in aging infrastructure. However, with this revised approval, the relocation and reconstruction of a new 70,000-ton-per-day facility, integrating current capacity and future expansion, has been confirmed, ensuring stable sewage treatment capabilities without wasteful spending.

The total project cost will exceed 200 billion won, with funding to be secured through beneficiary charges, Sokcho City’s sewage project revolving fund, and development of the existing site.

Given that the current facility is located near Oeongchi Beach, which has posed significant constraints on tourism image and the environment, the new sewage treatment plant will be built underground in a nearby area. The aboveground space will be developed into community-friendly facilities to maximize utility. The underground construction is also expected to substantially resolve the long-standing odor issue. The existing site will be utilized as available urban land in the future.

Lee Byungseon, Mayor of Sokcho, is explaining the approval of the partial amendment to the Sewerage Maintenance Master Plan on the 11th. Provided by Sokcho City

Through this project, Sokcho City expects to secure stable sewage treatment capacity, enhance safety and efficiency through facility modernization, and significantly improve its image as a tourist city while revitalizing the local economy.

Sokcho City, which has addressed water supply issues through the installation of the Cheoksan water pipeline and modernization of the local water supply system, is now tackling sewage issues with the relocation and reconstruction of the sewage treatment plant, thereby establishing a sustainable water management foundation for the next 100 years.

Mayor Lee Byungseon of Sokcho stated, "The relocation and reconstruction of the sewage treatment plant is a decisive project that will become the core of Sokcho City’s future environmental infrastructure. We will focus our administrative efforts on establishing a stable sewage treatment system and an eco-friendly urban foundation to enhance the quality of life that citizens experience and lay the groundwork for a sustainable city for the next 100 years."

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