Daegu City Council Member Heo Siyoung Urges Water and Sewage Fee Reductions for Families with Multiple Children

Six Metropolitan Cities Have Already Implemented the Policy
Policy Introduction Urged at Plenary Session

Heo Siyoung, a member of the Daegu City Council (People Power Party, Dalseo-gu District 2), is set to strongly urge the introduction of a water and sewage fee reduction policy to alleviate the economic burden on families with multiple children at the 3rd plenary session of the 316th extraordinary meeting on May 2.

In 2023, Daegu's total fertility rate was 0.702, which is below the national average of 0.721. The number of households with two or three children has also decreased by more than 15% compared to five years ago. In response, Daegu City has implemented various support policies for families with multiple children, such as discounts on cultural and sports facilities, public transportation fare reimbursements, and entrance grants for high school students. However, a practical support measure that would directly reduce living expenses?a water and sewage fee reduction policy?has not yet been introduced.

Heo Siyoung Daegu City Councilor

In particular, while most metropolitan cities such as Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Daejeon operate water and sewage fee reduction systems, Daegu has yet to implement such a policy.

In this context, Councilor Heo proposes deriving the most suitable reduction plan tailored to Daegu's circumstances, establishing an institutional basis for reducing water and sewage fees for families with multiple children, and creating a simple, user-centered application process.

A Daegu City Council official stated, "Out of the eight metropolitan cities nationwide, six have implemented water and sewage fee reductions for families with multiple children, with the exception of Daegu and Gwangju," adding, "According to a Daegu City survey, if the city were to reduce water and sewage fees by 3,000 won per month for 17,000 households with three or more children, it would require an annual budget of 1.32 billion won."

Heo Siyoung is expected to emphasize, "We can no longer hesitate to reduce the burden of childrearing and create a Daegu that is a good place to raise children," and, "A water and sewage fee reduction policy for families with multiple children will serve as an important starting point for turning small changes today into sustainable achievements."