Strengthening Stable Water Supply and Sewage Infrastructure
through 11 Major Projects
Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, has invested 10.4 billion won in 11 major projects across three sectors-water supply, sewage, and water purification plants-since last year to ensure a stable supply of clean water and to expand public sewage infrastructure.
Additionally, in the Ministry of Environment’s “2025 General Water Utility Operators Operation and Management Status Evaluation,” Geochang County ranked third nationwide among 47 local governments with a water supply population of less than 50,000. The county also achieved excellent results in the “2025 Post-Management Evaluation of Old Water Supply Network Improvement Projects,” thereby demonstrating its systematic facility management capabilities on a national level.
◆ Enhancing Trust through Expanded Rural Water Supply and Smart Network Management
The county has prioritized improving living conditions for rural residents in areas not yet connected to the water supply. Through the Yanggi Village Local Water Supply Conversion Project in Gajo-myeon, with a budget of 600 million won, the county provided a stable supply of drinking water to residents who previously relied on individual sources such as groundwater.
To prevent cost wastage caused by aging pipelines, the county is implementing the Old Water Supply Network Improvement Project (593 million won). In addition, by establishing a Smart Network Management System (2.29 billion won) incorporating ICT technologies, the county has developed an advanced system that enables real-time monitoring and prediction of the entire water supply process, from intake to faucet.
In particular, the recently selected Wicheon District Old Water Supply Network Improvement Project (total project cost: 20.7 billion won) is the result of Geochang County’s persistent administrative efforts. Since 2024, the county has repeatedly visited the Ministry of Environment to logically advocate for the urgency of the project. With this selection, the county expects to achieve a visible economic impact, including an approximately 7% improvement in water supply rate, an annual reduction of about 380,000 tons of water leakage, and cost savings of about 1.6 billion won per year.
◆ Strengthening Water Quality Safety through Modernization of Purification Facilities and Securing Skilled Personnel
To ensure the production of safe tap water, the county has simultaneously enhanced both the hardware and software of its purification plants. By proactively upgrading aging facilities-such as the sedimentation basin repairs at Geochang and Gajo purification plants (100 million won), improvements to rainwater production facilities at Geochang purification plant (350 million won), and membrane filtration system upgrades at Wicheon purification plant (850 million won)-the county has improved its ability to respond to water supply disruptions.
Furthermore, an internal staff member has obtained the national “Level 2 Water Purification Facility Operation Manager” qualification, further enhancing operational expertise. This not only secures human resources capable of systematically managing advanced water treatment processes but also lays the foundation for a scientific water quality management system that allows residents to drink water with confidence.
◆ Safeguarding Clean Geochang through Expansion of Village-Scale Sewage Treatment Facilities
In the sewage sector, the county has focused on achieving both water quality preservation and improved living environments. By gradually installing small-scale sewage treatment facilities in areas such as Namsang Cheongnim District (2.346 billion won), Buksang Byeonggok District (290 million won), and Sinwon Suok District (500 million won), the county has alleviated inconvenience for residents in unserviced areas.
Additionally, the county has carried out the maintenance of old sewage pipelines in Geochang-eup downtown (1.272 billion won) and mechanical equipment maintenance (1.6 billion won). At the same time, precision safety inspections and technical diagnoses (1.365 billion won) have been conducted to ensure systematic facility management and to enhance operational expertise.
Such systematic management led to Geochang County ranking fifth nationwide in the “2025 Public Wastewater Treatment Facility Operation and Management Status Evaluation,” once again confirming the county’s environmental administrative capabilities.
◆ Vision for Water Administration for a Sustainable Future
Geochang County plans to continue the smart advancement of its water supply and sewage systems through its 2026 business plan. The strategy goes beyond simple facility repairs, aiming to establish a “sustainable water circulation system” through data-driven maintenance and the development of skilled personnel.
County Governor Koo Inmo stated, “Supplying safe and clean water is the most fundamental and essential administrative service that determines the quality of life for our residents. We will continue to make proactive investments and strengthen expertise to provide water administration that all residents can trust, and we will do our utmost to ensure that clean water becomes a driving force for Geochang’s future growth.”
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