High-Value and Habitual Water Bill Delinquents... Seoul City to Cut Off Water and Seize Assets

Seoul Aims for Zero Water Bill Delinquencies
Measures Include Water Supply Suspension, Property Seizure, and Encouraging Small-Scale Payments
Installment Plans Planned for Economically Vulnerable Groups

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is launching a rigorous collection campaign targeting high-value and habitual delinquent water bill payers. The city will implement effective measures such as water supply suspension and property seizure, and will also intensively manage small-scale delinquents.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on June 2, the city plans to establish and operate a joint collection team composed of 10 members to systematically collect water bills.

Ttukdo Arisu Water Purification Center, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Honam Moon

The joint collection team will focus on on-site activities, including encouraging on-the-spot payments, giving advance notice of water supply suspension and property seizure, and collecting payment plans from delinquents.

First, for 'long-term delinquents' who have missed payments six or more times (with overdue amounts of at least 200,000 won) and high-value delinquents with overdue amounts of 1.2 million won or more, the city will notify them of their delinquency and then proceed with water supply suspension (purification) measures. In particular, for cases where the statute of limitations is about to expire, the city will take strong actions such as real estate seizure. The city will also encourage joint payers (property owners) to pay the overdue amounts.

However, for vulnerable groups facing economic hardship who are unable to pay overdue bills in a lump sum, or for those who express willingness to pay the remaining amount after paying a certain portion, the city will allow installment payments for up to six months and may ease water supply suspension as well.

Cases collected from the field, such as improvements in payment notification methods and response procedures, will be used to further refine the collection system. Previously, in the first quarter of this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government collected a total of 10 billion won from long-term and high-value delinquents, including the highest single overdue amount of 19.4 million won.

Lee Hoeseung, head of the Seoul Arisu Headquarters, stated, "Water bills are an essential resource to ensure the stable supply of clean and safe tap water to citizens," adding, "Through systematic water bill collection throughout the month of June, we will foster a sound payment culture."