Donghae City Accelerates Phase 2 of Local Waterworks Modernization Project... Aiming for 85% Water Retention Rate

Donghae City to Invest 43.4 Billion Won in Complete Replacement of Aging Water Mains
Establishment of Block-Based Water Network System Across the City
Refurbishment of Old Water Mains in Bugok and Iwon Areas

On March 9, Donghae City, Gangwon Province announced that it will actively move forward with the "Donghae City Local Waterworks Modernization Project (Phase 2)" to ensure a stable tap water supply by upgrading aging water supply facilities and to achieve the target water retention rate of 85%.

Donghae City is actively promoting the "Donghae City Local Waterworks Modernization Project (Phase 2)" to ensure stable tap water supply through the improvement of aging water supply facilities and to achieve the target water retention rate of 85%. Provided by Donghae City

The previously implemented Local Waterworks Modernization Project (Phase 1), which ran from 2019 to 2025, invested a total of 32.2 billion won (65% from the national government, 35% from the local government) to establish a block-based water network system throughout Donghae City. It also included the refurbishment of old water mains in the Bugok and Iwon areas, as well as leak detection and repair. As a result, the water retention rate in these areas reached 87%, and the overall water retention rate for Donghae City improved from 55% to 68%.

Building on the results of Phase 1, the city has officially launched Phase 2 of the modernization project to continue the refurbishment of aging water supply facilities. Phase 2 will focus on replacing old water mains, with a total budget of 43.4 billion won (50% from the national government, 50% from the local government), and will carry out the replacement of obsolete water supply systems and the digitalization of the network map in the Samun and Saeun areas from 2026 to 2030.

This year, in particular, the Samun area has been selected as the priority project site, and detailed design is currently underway with the goal of commencing construction in the third quarter of this year.

The main tasks include: ▲ resolving complaints about rusty water by replacing old water mains from Samhwa Bridge to the Waterworks Office entrance ▲ improving emergency response to water outages by upgrading the single-pipe structure under the Songjeong-dong railway ▲ replacing old water mains from Samunjae to the Mukho Station intersection ▲ establishing appropriate water pressure management and a small-block monitoring system considering pressure differences between high and low elevation areas. Through these measures, the city aims to improve the water retention rate and operate the water supply system more efficiently.

Current Status of Block Construction Project for Donghae City Modernization. Provided by Donghae City

Furthermore, the modernization project is expected to reduce unnecessary tap water production, thereby lowering production costs. Systematic pipe maintenance will decrease the frequency of water outages and help establish a stable water supply environment. Replacing old pipes will also improve water quality, and reduced leakage is expected to lower energy consumption during the water purification process. In addition, by building a stable supply system, the city anticipates long-term financial savings, such as reducing the need for new water purification plants in the future.

Park Jongjoo, Head of the Waterworks and Sewerage Office, stated, "Through the modernization project, we will systematically refurbish aging water supply facilities and reduce leakage, providing citizens with a more stable tap water supply. Based on the achievements of the first phase, we will ensure the successful execution of the second phase and establish a sustainable water supply management system."

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