Gimhae City Increases Support Fund by 30 Million Won for Restoration of Abandoned Groundwater Wells

Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, is carrying out restoration work on an abandoned groundwater well.
[Image source=Gimhae City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 17th that it has decided to secure an additional budget of 30 million won as the groundwater 'abandoned well' restoration project, which was promoted this year, was completed early in the first half of the year.

An abandoned well refers to a well that has been discontinued due to insufficient quantity, poor water quality, or use of source water for drinking water. If left abandoned for a long time, contaminants such as oil and pesticides may enter, posing a risk of polluting the entire groundwater, so prompt well closure is essential.

To increase the voluntary reporting rate, the city revised the groundwater ordinance in November 2019 to support up to 80% of the restoration cost for corporations and permitted facilities, which previously only supported 30%, making it equal to that for private groundwater users.

As a result, the economic burden on groundwater users has been reduced, and the number of restoration wells, which was about 90 wells annually, has significantly increased to about 140 wells after the ordinance revision.

According to the 2020 Groundwater Survey Yearbook by the Ministry of Environment, Gimhae City has 3,518 unused wells, of which 3,281 have been restored so far, and 237 wells remain.

A Gimhae City official said, "Based on the annual groundwater usage survey, next year we plan to focus restoration funds on five areas, including Saengnim-myeon, where the survey will be completed."