Seoul City Conducts Safety Inspections of Sewage Facilities Around 378 Large Construction Sites... Completed Before Rainy Season

Safety Inspection of Surrounding Sewage Facilities Conducted at Large-Scale Construction Sites

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 18th that it will conduct intensive inspections of 'large-scale construction site sewage facilities' such as sewage manholes and sewer pipes around major construction sites in flood-prone areas to prevent flood damage and various safety accidents caused by heavy rain ahead of the rainy season.

The safety inspections, starting from the 19th, will cover 378 construction sites including subway and road construction, and housing redevelopment, with the city and autonomous districts dividing the inspections to be completed by May 10.

The inspection targets include 378 large-scale construction sites with a total floor area of 10,000㎡ or more: 253 in the private construction sector, 54 in the private housing sector, 19 in the public construction sector, and 52 in urban infrastructure development. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will directly inspect 12 major redevelopment areas and road construction sites.

The Seoul city inspection team consists of 25 members divided into five groups, including officials from the Water Reuse Planning Division, autonomous district officials, sewerage field expert supervisors, and external experts. The autonomous district inspections will be conducted jointly by the project management department, sewerage expert supervisors, and construction companies, with the districts establishing their own inspection plans and reporting results to the city. If re-inspection is necessary, joint inspections by the city and districts will be conducted.

The main inspection items include damage to sewage facilities around construction sites, sediment accumulation and cement inflow in sewer pipes, proper construction of public sewers and drainage facilities, removal of obstacles to water flow and securing drainage functions, and poor sewer pipe joints.

So far, Seoul has continuously inspected and taken administrative measures against water flow obstruction facilities to prevent flood damage during the rainy season. However, since sewers, which are major disaster prevention facilities, are buried underground and not easily visible, there have been cases of unauthorized damage and occupation during redevelopment, reconstruction, and underground utility works such as gas and power lines.

Based on the inspection results, urgent and minor issues will be corrected immediately on-site, and serious defects will be re-inspected with related experts. Additionally, if acts obstructing sewage flow are found, strong administrative measures will be taken to raise awareness of the importance of sewers as key disaster prevention facilities directly linked to citizens' safety.

Choi Jin-seok, Director of the Water Circulation Safety Bureau of Seoul, said, “Although buried underground and not easily visible, sewage facilities are important disaster prevention facilities that prevent flood damage during heavy rain. We expect that this safety inspection will contribute to protecting citizens' valuable property and lives by raising safety awareness at large construction sites.”