Icheon-si Supports Restoration of Abandoned Groundwater Wells to Original Condition

60 Small-Scale Abandoned Groundwater Wells Targeted

On the 13th, Icheon City in Gyeonggi Province announced that it will carry out a restoration support project for unused and abandoned groundwater facilities (abandoned wells).

An abandoned well refers to a well that was developed and used for groundwater but was discontinued due to insufficient water quantity, water supply expansion, etc., and was left abandoned without proper restoration, or wells that are used without permission or whose ownership is unclear. Leaving such wells unattended can lead to the inflow of pollutants, causing contamination of soil or groundwater.

Unused and abandoned groundwater wells (abandoned wells). Icheon City plans to restore 60 small-scale abandoned wells to their original state this year.
[Photo by Icheon City]

The city plans to promote the restoration project this year by conducting on-site investigations of abandoned wells along with unregistered groundwater wells. To this end, from this month until September, a period of eight months, the city will invest 45 million KRW to restore 60 small-scale abandoned wells. Previously, the city restored 22 abandoned wells from 2022 to last year.

The city plans to select project targets by analyzing data such as ownership verification and conducting on-site investigations when unused wells are reported during the demand survey period in eup, myeon, and dong districts. The support targets are those obligated to restore and groundwater facilities where the groundwater performance bond cannot be used. However, if the owner of the groundwater facility is identified, a restoration order will be issued to the restoration obligor, and if not complied with, a fine of up to 5 million KRW will be imposed.

Meanwhile, groundwater wells are classified according to drilling diameter and depth as ▲small (diameter less than 50 mm) ▲medium (100?150 mm) ▲large (150 mm or more). Small wells are used for agricultural water, medium wells use submersible pumps for domestic water, and large wells are mainly used for agricultural purposes. The city will promote the restoration project for abandoned wells regardless of size or type.

This year, the city plans to hire groundwater conservation management inspectors to conduct on-site verification of abandoned wells and unregistered wells and manage groundwater facilities.

Kim Kyung-hee, mayor of Icheon City, said, "We will continue to restore wells that have been discontinued and abandoned," adding, "We will do our utmost to block sources of water pollution and maintain groundwater resources in a stable manner."