Kim Oksu, a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Seo-gu Council, proposed the installation of a 'radial collection well' as a measure to improve the water quality of Pungam Lake.
At the opening ceremony of the 315th extraordinary session held that day, Councilor Kim delivered a 5-minute free speech.
He stated, "As the promise by Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong to preserve the original form of Pungam Lake was broken, leading to a deadlock in improving the water quality of Pungam Lake, I propose the installation of a 'radial collection well' near the Yeongsan River intake station as the optimal solution."
The radial collection well is a collection facility that installs a cylindrical well shaft (manhole box) penetrating the bottom aquifer where river water naturally infiltrates to the bottom and groundwater accumulates abundantly, and horizontally drills into the lateral aquifer to radially lay porous collection pipes.
Currently, Pungam Lake is connected to an intake station and pipeline that brings in 7,500 tons of water per day from the Yeongsan River since 2020, linked with the Seochangcheon Hometown River creation project.
Utilizing this, the Yeongsan River bottom near the Byeokjindong intake station is considered the optimal site as it does not require separate facility or maintenance costs, significantly reducing the budget.
Also, the radial collection well is eco-friendly as it does not require chemical treatment or mechanical facilities, is known to be semi-permanent as long as the river water is not depleted, and the only facility exposed above ground is a 5-meter collection pipe cover, so the aesthetics of the riverbed are not significantly affected.
Accordingly, Councilor Kim said, "If Gwangju City and the Central Park project operator cannot present a better alternative than the radial collection well method, they must abandon the landfill method of Pungam Lake, which all experts oppose, and keep the promise made to Gwangju citizens to preserve the original form."
Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dongho bless4ya@asiae.co.kr
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