Pocheon City to Launch Customized Food Wastewater Public Sewage Treatment Project

On December 17, Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province announced that it will officially launch the 'Food Wastewater Public Sewage Treatment Facility Integration Project' starting in 2026.

Pocheon City Hall exterior. Provided by Pocheon City

This project is a system that channels wastewater from food companies, which have faced financial burdens and management difficulties due to the installation and operation of individual wastewater treatment facilities, into public sewage treatment facilities with available capacity. The initiative aims to reduce the management burden on businesses and ensure the stable operation of sewage treatment facilities, and is being promoted as an active administrative policy.

Before implementing the project, the city plans to introduce a 'Two-Track' management approach to reduce confusion among businesses caused by uniform standards and to enable more rational management. The operation method will differ based on the amount of wastewater discharged, classifying companies as either 'large-scale' (over 20 tons per day) or 'small-scale' (20 tons or less per day).

Companies discharging more than 20 tons of wastewater per day, classified as large-scale, will be required to install and operate their own wastewater treatment facilities, considering their significant impact on public sewage treatment facilities. However, the city plans to ease the burden on these companies by applying the 'Type B region' effluent quality standard, which is less stringent than the existing 'Clean Area' standard.

In contrast, small-scale companies discharging 20 tons or less per day will, in principle, be allowed to connect directly to the public sewage pipeline. However, depending on the characteristics of the wastewater, the city may require the installation of additional pre-treatment facilities such as screens, oil-water separators, or flow equalization tanks.

To prevent water pollution and operational disruptions at sewage treatment facilities-issues of concern to citizens-all participating companies must sign an integration agreement with Pocheon City. The agreement includes strict penalty clauses, such as suspension of wastewater inflow and compensation for damages, in the event of serious violations like unauthorized business changes or abnormal wastewater discharge, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of management and supervision.

A Pocheon City official stated, "While we will omit notarization procedures, the agreement will significantly strengthen safety management and penalty clauses, thereby streamlining administrative processes and ensuring more thorough management and supervision. We aim to provide tangible benefits to businesses and establish a wastewater management system that earns the trust of our citizens."

Pocheon City also plans to continuously monitor the quality of influent and operational status at sewage treatment plants throughout the implementation of the food wastewater integration project, and will comprehensively review fairness issues with other industries to develop a phased expansion plan.