Comprehensive Inspection of Sinwol Rainwater Storage and Drainage Facility on 29th, Proactively Checking Facility Operation Status and On-site Readiness
Preparedness Activated with Hotline Establishment Among Related Agencies and Full Survey of Flood-prone Areas During Five-month Flood and Wind Damage Prevention Period Starting May 15
Lee Gijae, Yangcheon District Mayor (left), is inspecting the Sinwol Stormwater Retention and Drainage Facility on the morning of the 29th.
Yangcheon-gu (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that on the 29th, it conducted an on-site inspection of the Sinwol Rainwater Storage and Drainage Facility, the district's representative urban flood prevention facility, in preparation for heavy summer rains.
On this day, the inspection was carried out by Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu, who, along with the related department inspection team, directly entered the underground 3.6 km section at the end of the storage drainage tunnel by car to check the facility.
The Sinwol Rainwater Storage and Drainage Facility, completed in 2020 to resolve frequent flooding damage in the Sinwol-dong area, is the first large-depth tunnel-type underground storage facility in Korea, installed at a depth of 40 meters underground with a diameter of 10 meters and a length of 4.7 km. It has disaster prevention capabilities that can handle 100 mm of heavy rain per hour and store up to 320,000 tons of rainwater. During heavy rains, it stores rainwater from Sinwol-dong, Hwagok-dong, and nearby areas, then discharges it into Anyangcheon Stream through a pumping station after the rain stops.
Earlier, from January for about three months, the district removed 222 cubic meters of dredged soil accumulated inside the deep tunnel and intensively maintained key facilities such as sluice gates. This inspection was a proactive comprehensive check to confirm the overall readiness for summer flood and water damage. Mayor Lee Gi-jae carefully examined everything from the operation status of the central control room, the inflow, outflow, and maintenance vertical shafts, sluice gate operation status, to the dredging results including sediment and foreign matter accumulation inside the 40-meter deep tunnel. Additionally, the district plans to install four CCTV cameras inside the deep tunnel by the end of next month for continuous monitoring to perfectly prevent flooding in low-lying areas.
With the flood and water damage countermeasure period set to operate for five months starting May 15, the district proactively established a comprehensive summer countermeasure and activated a full-scale preparedness and response system.
First, based on flood trace maps, the district conducted a full survey of semi-basement houses in flood-prone areas by zone and installed flood prevention facilities such as water barriers to minimize flood damage.
Furthermore, a ‘hotline’ was established among the district office, Yangcheon Police Station, and Yangcheon Fire Station to strengthen cooperation. At the joint meeting of related agencies for flood and water damage preparedness held on the 17th, the district checked agency-specific measures according to Seoul City's flood prediction and warning standards and agreed to actively cooperate in building a rapid disaster response coordination system based on information sharing about major flood-vulnerable facilities such as underground roads and cut slopes. To this end, the district plans to produce and distribute a booklet containing information on the location, facility photos, operation overview, and emergency contact network of 137 flood-vulnerable facilities.
Alongside this, before the rainy season, the district will implement a ‘personal drainage facility inspection service’ for residents vulnerable to flooding to proactively secure the drainage capacity of facilities that are difficult to manage individually.
Also, to prevent road flooding damage, the district is promoting a ‘major arterial road rainwater inlet location notifier installation project.’ By improving the design and functionality of rainwater inlet location indicators, visibility will be enhanced, enabling rapid drainage and traffic flow operations during heavy rain.
To minimize flooding damage in Anyangcheon Stream, a chronic flood-prone area during heavy rains, the district is promoting the ‘Anyangcheon Disaster Prevention Performance Improvement Service and Flood Prediction System Development Project.’
In addition, the district conducted a full inventory of flood prevention materials and equipment, distributed them early to local community centers, and signed a ‘disaster recovery support agreement’ with private specialized equipment companies for rapid damage restoration. Moreover, storage boxes containing over 6,100 sandbags for flood prevention have been pre-positioned throughout the region.
On the morning of the 29th, inspecting the Sinwol Stormwater Retention and Drainage Facility site, central control facility
Additionally, the district encourages enrollment in ‘Flood and Water Damage Insurance,’ which provides practical compensation for damages caused by natural disasters such as typhoons. For vulnerable groups residing in disaster-prone areas and priority enrollment target properties, the district fully supports the personal contribution fees.
In early May, the district activated the ‘Companion Partner’ and ‘Flood Vulnerable Household Care Officer’ systems, composed of public officials, neighborhood leaders, and nearby residents, to provide dedicated management for flood disaster-vulnerable individuals.
Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu stated, “As this summer is also expected to bring record rainfall due to abnormal climate, we conducted a proactive comprehensive inspection focusing on key facilities such as the Sinwol Rainwater Storage and Drainage Facility to minimize flood damage. The safety of our residents is the highest priority that cannot be compromised, so we will promote thorough flood and water damage countermeasures and expand flood control infrastructure.”
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