"Nausea is just the beginning. There is nothing you can ever get used to."

At 4:40 a.m. on the 25th, at an apartment complex in Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Wearing a headlamp, safety helmet, and gloves, I climbed down a ladder into the underground septic tank. The stench of old sewage pierced through my mask, and the heat and humidity made my body sticky. Although an oxygen supply device had been installed the previous day, the hot and damp air wrapped around me, making it hard to breathe. The hydrogen sulfide concentration was 2ppm, and the oxygen concentration was 19.9%. While these were not at dangerous levels, I still felt dizzy.

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The septic tank is divided into a decomposition chamber, a filtration chamber, and a discharge chamber. Hardened sewage collects in the decomposition chamber, moisture in the filtration chamber, and wastewater in the discharge chamber. The process involves spraying water into the decomposition chamber with a regular hose and connecting a suction hose to the discharge chamber to send the sewage to a collection truck. If the sewage is not fully liquefied, it takes much longer to be suctioned out, increasing the overall work time.

I twisted my body inside the decomposition chamber, aiming the regular hose. It was necessary to keep the hose tip fixed and spray water evenly, while another worker next to me broke up clumps with a fire hose. The brown foam 'scum' that formed on the surface of the sewage was hard to break, and the black solid sediment called 'sludge' did not budge even when sprayed with water. If I tried to change my posture, my knees ached and my back stiffened. All I could hear during the work were frustrated sighs of "It's so hard, it won't break."

A reporter from this paper is experiencing sewage septic tank cleaning at an apartment in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon

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The inside of the septic tank felt like a sauna. Less than five minutes after starting, my entire body was soaked. Every breath stung my nose and throat, and my eyes burned. Sweat streamed down my face and even pooled inside my work boots. The nausea-inducing smell seemed to dissolve into the air and seep into every pore of my skin. When sewage splashed up and hit my face, I felt dizzy. There was nowhere to leave drinking water, so I could only moisten my lips underground and had to go outside to drink properly.

Mr. Cheon (59) said, "When working in hot weather, finishing even a little faster is important, but the older the sewage, the harder it gets, to the point where you can't break it even by stepping on it, so it just takes a long time. In older buildings, you sometimes have to twist your body to squeeze through narrow entrances. At least here, you can squat, which is a relief," he added.

A septic tank cleaning worker is holding a sewage septic tank cleaning hose at an apartment in Junggu, Seoul. Photo by Seungwook Park

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As the sewage became more liquefied, the smell intensified. Unable to breathe through my nose, I had to breathe through my mouth. My mouth became so dry that even swallowing was painful. My eyes, irritated by hydrogen sulfide, quickly turned red, and some workers used artificial tears. One worker said, "This helps a bit," handing me a bottle of artificial tears. Only after putting a few drops in my eyes could I see properly again. Occasionally, foreign objects caught in the suction hose had to be pulled out with a hook. Wet wipes, plastic, and hair ties were among the items, which workers removed by hand and placed in a container. The smell permeated not just my mask but my whole body, and sewage splashed onto my hands and wrists.

Although the underground work was finished, the job was not done. Next, we headed to the above-ground septic tank. In another building of the apartment complex, the septic tank lid was at ground level. When the lid was opened, the stagnant sewage emitted steam. The sunlight stung my skin, and the stench from the surface sewage was even stronger than underground. Some said it was actually cooler below ground. With no shade at the site, sweat poured nonstop, and even drinking ice water with sewage-stained hands did not relieve the heat. Passing residents pinched their noses and hurried by with grimaces. As noon approached, we skipped lunch. Mr. Hong (64) said, "When you do this job, you lose your appetite. Even if you go to a restaurant, people glare at you because of the smell, so I don't go."

Our reporter (center) is experiencing sewage septic tank cleaning at an apartment in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

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To clean a single septic tank, the sewage collection truck must make three to five trips. Early in the morning, it takes about 20 minutes per trip, but during the day, it can take over an hour. Although there are 55 septic tank cleaning companies in Seoul, there are only three designated treatment plants. At each plant, the queue is so long that collection trucks wait for tens of minutes. During this time, workers stand under the scorching sun with no shelter or shade. I stood on the asphalt, without even time to wipe away my sweat.

Mr. Jin (65) said, "You get used to the smell over time, but you never get used to the heat. If the truck is late, you have to stand outside even longer, and then continue working, which often leads to exhaustion. Even ice water quickly becomes lukewarm and doesn't quench your thirst," he lamented. I leaned against a wall with no shade, exhaling heavily as I waited for the truck. Before my sweat could dry, I had to move again, and my work clothes were soaked with both sweat and sewage.

After hours of work, one underground and two above-ground septic tanks were finally emptied. Even after showering and changing out of sweat- and sewage-soaked clothes, the stench lingered on my body. But for me, this was just an experience. Tomorrow, and the next day, these workers will go back down into the same stench and heat. Suddenly, a worker's words echoed in my ears: "Someone has to do it."

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