Replacement of Old Pipes and Support for Suffocation Fire Extinguishers in Nowon-gu Apartments 'Popular'

Support Project for Replacing Old Pipes in Apartment Complexes: The Only One Among 25 Districts in Seoul
25.3 Billion KRW Invested from 2019... Resolving Rusty Water Concerns for Over 32,000 Households
Provision of CO2 Fire Extinguishers for Effective Early Suppression of Electric Vehicle Fires to Be Completed by December

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is striving to create a safe and pleasant residential environment to improve the quality of life for its residents.

Nowon-gu has the highest proportion of aging apartments over 30 years old among all districts nationwide, accounting for 54% of the total apartment households. Therefore, while rapidly promoting reconstruction and redevelopment, the district is also focusing on preparing support measures closely related to daily life.

First, the district has continuously promoted the "Support Project for Replacing Old Apartment Common Water Supply Pipes." In the past, apartment water pipes were often made of galvanized pipes or PVC materials vulnerable to corrosion, causing rust water problems.

Starting with a review of the "Drinking Environment Improvement Plan" in August 2018, the district officially began replacing common water pipes in 2019. In particular, water pipes made of stainless steel or PB (polybutylene), which are resistant to rust, were adopted, and with a total budget of 25.3 billion KRW, support was completed for 24 complexes and 32,570 households.

At the beginning of the project, support was up to 100,000 KRW per household, and from 2020, the support amount was increased to up to 300,000 KRW per household. When combined with the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s subsidy of 600,000 KRW, households received a total of 900,000 KRW for replacement costs.

Demonstration of Using a Total Flooding Fire Extinguisher

Additionally, amid growing concerns among residents due to recent electric vehicle fires, the district is also working on measures to respond to electric vehicle fires.

Electric vehicle fires are difficult to extinguish with ordinary fire extinguishers or water because they involve electric batteries. Special fire extinguishing equipment, including "smothering fire extinguishers" that cut off oxygen supply, is considered a key element for initial response.

The district recently enacted an ordinance on fire prevention and safety facility support for electric vehicle-only parking zones, and based on this ordinance, plans to provide smothering fire extinguishers to all 194 apartment complexes equipped with electric vehicle charging facilities by early December.

The district expects that the distribution of smothering fire extinguishers will enable rapid and effective initial response in the event of an electric vehicle fire. In addition, various measures, including electric vehicle fire prevention education, will continue to be implemented.

Earlier, in September, the district conducted training on electric vehicle response methods for apartment management office staff and residents to efficiently respond to electric vehicle fires. In particular, the training included a reenactment of an electric vehicle fire situation, a demonstration of how to use the smothering fire extinguisher, and hands-on experience for residents, which received high satisfaction.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “I feel great fulfillment in being able to minimize residents’ inconveniences and provide a more pleasant and safe residential environment,” and added, “We will continue to make efforts to improve the quality of life for our residents.”

Comparison Before and After Pipe Replacement