9 out of 10 Frozen Water Meter Cases Caused by 'Insufficient Insulation' and 'Long Absence'

Seoul City Analyzes Over 3,600 Frozen Pipe Cases Last Winter... Lack of Insulation, Long Absences, and Meter Exposure Most Common
Customized Insulation for 300,000 Vulnerable Households, Establishes Rapid Recovery System by Region to Enhance Response Capability

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] More than 90% of the 10 water pipe burst incidents that occurred in winter were found to be caused by insufficient insulation of the meter box or long-term absence. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has selected 300,000 households vulnerable to pipe bursts this winter and is implementing customized insulation measures to prevent water meter pipe bursts.

On the 9th, Seoul analyzed about 3,600 pipe burst cases that occurred last winter and reported that 91% were caused by insufficient insulation of the meter box or long-term absence, urging citizens to actively participate in pipe burst prevention. Last winter, there were 3,621 water meter pipe bursts in Seoul, accounting for 0.16% of approximately 2.25 million water meters. The main causes of pipe bursts were insufficient insulation (67.7%), long-term absence (24%), and exposure of the meter (6.5%), in that order.

In particular, during December last year alone, 1,835 pipe bursts occurred, accounting for 50% of the total period, marking the highest number of December pipe bursts in the past 10 years. Even with insulation measures, pipe bursts occur if days with temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius continue for more than two days, and pipe bursts increase exponentially on days below minus 15 degrees Celsius.

Starting this year, according to the revised Water Ordinance, if a water meter is damaged by natural disasters such as cold waves in winter and needs replacement, the city will bear the cost. However, if insulation measures were not taken or if the meter protection case was poorly managed (damaged, exposed, detached, etc.) resulting in pipe bursts, the user must bear the full cost of the meter and installation, so caution is required.

Additionally, to prevent water meter pipe bursts this winter, Seoul has selected 300,000 vulnerable households and is implementing customized insulation measures. It will distribute 270,000 insulation covers for meter boxes that block cold wind, and install wall-type and manhole-type insulation materials for meter boxes, pipe burst-resistant safety meters, and meter self-insulation materials that wrap the meter directly, tailored to regional characteristics.

Insulation covers for meter boxes will be distributed to apartments and row houses, totaling 270,000 covers. About 4,200 wall-type insulation materials will be installed in corridor-style apartments and old row and multi-family houses, and about 4,600 manhole-type insulation materials will be installed in detached houses and commercial buildings. Pipe burst-resistant safety meters, which can withstand temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius for more than 24 hours, will be installed in 10,000 locations, focusing on water supply points with a history of pipe bursts in the past 10 years. Additionally, about 7,500 meter self-insulation materials, also known as "meter underwear," which wrap the glass part of the meter body for insulation, will be newly installed following last year.

To enable prompt reporting of pipe bursts and meter replacement, a "Winter Water Meter Pipe Burst Countermeasure Situation Room" will operate from November 15 to March 15 next year. Based on the lowest temperature, four stages of pipe burst alert?'Interest,' 'Caution,' 'Warning,' and 'Severe'?will be implemented, and citizens will be guided on actions for each stage to actively encourage participation in pipe burst prevention.

Furthermore, starting this year, each waterworks office can independently raise the pipe burst response level according to local weather conditions to enhance on-site responsiveness. This decision was made because there is a significant difference in average lowest temperatures and district-level lowest temperatures within Seoul, necessitating tailored regional responses.

Lee Dae-hyun, head of the Seoul Waterworks Headquarters, said, “For a warm and safe winter, we ask for great interest in pipe burst prevention such as ‘insulating your home water meter’ and ‘leaving the faucet slightly open during cold waves.’ We will establish a rapid pipe burst recovery system this winter to minimize inconvenience to citizens.”