Organizing an In-House Inspection Team for Intensive Inspection and Maintenance of Water and Sewage Facilities
On May 28, Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province announced that it will operate its own inspection team to proactively inspect and maintain vulnerable water and sewage facilities that are at risk of disasters such as flooding, leakage, and structural collapse, in preparation for the upcoming summer rainy season and heavy downpours.
This inspection will cover a total of approximately 300 water supply facilities, including 30 key local water supply systems, 9 reservoirs, 24 village water intake points in valley areas, and 281 additional reservoirs. It will also include major large-scale construction sites, such as the Namsang Cheongnim District small-scale sewage treatment facility.
The inspection team will focus on checking for structural and mechanical risk factors, including ground subsidence around water supply pipelines, the stability of reservoir slopes and retaining walls, and the operational status of flow meters and pumps. In addition, they will examine water quality and the operation of automatic control devices, check for soil accumulation and drainage availability near construction sites, and assess the maintenance status of water source protection zones to eliminate and address potential hazards in advance.
With the recent increase in the frequency of "guerrilla heavy rain"?intense rainfall occurring in a short period due to climate change?the county also plans to identify drainage obstacles and carry out dredging work along a 6-kilometer section of sewage pipelines designated for intensive management, using CCTV inspections.
In addition, to prevent summer odors and the occurrence of pests in advance, mowing work will be carried out in water source protection zones. This operation is also expected to be effective in suppressing the breeding of small organisms such as midges.
County Governor Koo Inmo stated, "As the risk of disasters due to climate change increases, preemptive inspections are the most important response measure for water and sewage facilities, which are directly linked to the safety of our residents. We will do our utmost through these inspections and maintenance activities to ensure that residents can use water and sewage facilities?one of the most basic conveniences?without inconvenience throughout the summer."
Meanwhile, separately from this inspection, Geochang County is also accelerating its project to upgrade aging water and sewage infrastructure. For the second phase of the old water supply network improvement project, including the Wicheon District, the county has secured a total project budget of 20.7 billion won (including 10.3 billion won in national funding). In addition, a separate project to repair 2.6 kilometers of old sewage pipelines and 59 manholes within the county, with a total budget of 3.3 billion won, is scheduled to begin in the second half of the year.
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