'Leak Detection' Citizen Report Reward Increased by 50%

Reward for Leakage Reports Increased from 20,000 to 30,000 KRW, Mobile Gift Cards Introduced as Payment Method
Last Year, 73% of 8,636 Leak Cases in Seoul Were Discovered Through Citizen Reports and Immediately Repaired

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 2nd that it will improve the leak report reward system starting from the 3rd to increase public interest and encourage active participation. The reward will be increased by 50% to 30,000 KRW, and a mobile gift certificate payment method will be newly introduced.

'Leakage' can be suspected when water is seen flowing or pooling on the streets even on days without rain. Any citizen who discovers a leak can immediately report it by calling 120 without an area code or contacting each waterworks office in Seoul.

According to Seoul City, out of 8,636 water pipe leaks that occurred last year, more than two-thirds, 6,370 cases (73%), were discovered by citizens. Upon receiving reports, the city immediately dispatched teams to the site to excavate and carry out water pipe repair work.

The main cause of leaks was vibrations from vehicles and construction sites, accounting for 3,738 cases (43%), the highest proportion. Most leaks (7,297 cases, 84%) were small-scale leaks with pipe diameters of 50 mm or less.

The city uses detection equipment to proactively find underground leaks before water flows onto the road, but sudden leaks that occur frequently rely heavily on citizen reports. Quickly locating and repairing sudden leaks can minimize secondary damage such as road subsidence, freezing, flooding of nearby buildings, and waste of tap water.

Accordingly, the reward paid to the first citizen who reports a water pipe leak in Seoul will be increased by 50%, from 20,000 KRW to 30,000 KRW. In addition to the existing physical registered mail delivery, a mobile gift certificate payment method has been added.

Kim Tae-gyun, head of the Seoul Waterworks Headquarters, said, "Since 73% of leak discoveries are made through reports, active citizen reporting is the key to minimizing leak damage," and added, "Seoul maintains the world's highest water retention rate of 95.5% as of last year, but we will carry out more active leak reduction activities to minimize leak damage."