Seosan takes preemptive measures against extreme rainfall to prevent urban flooding
Seosan City has launched a project to prevent urban flooding before it happens. The city announced on the 29th that it will carry out an urban flood response project, investing 38.3 billion won to improve and install stormwater drainage pipes and inlets in the district (Seosan drainage sub-zone). Stormwater pipes are drainage channels that send rainwater to the sewer system; the project will involve improving and installing a total of 8.1 kilometers of stormwater pipes and upgrading 420 inlets (grates that collect rainwater from roads). The project is funded by 22.8 billion won in national support, granted after the city was selected in the Ministry of Environment's Priority Sewerage Management Area competition in November 2022, plus local funds. Construction is set to begin in August 2025, with completion targeted for 2028.
Lee Kyung-soo, Director General of Environmental and Greenery Affairs, outlined the project's progress and future plans at the regular briefing held in the City Hall briefing room. Ahead of full-scale construction, the city prioritized sections around Smart 701 Apartments and the Jungang Lake Park intersection, areas prone to flooding, carrying out work there in 2024 and 2025, and confirmed last year that the measures were effective in preventing floods. Director General Lee emphasized that the project focuses not simply on replacing facilities, but on enhancing the overall stormwater handling capacity of the entire project area through pipe expansion, waterway improvement, and the separation of low-lying basins.
Near the Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, a pump station was unavoidable due to a passage box and the terrain, but in connection with the Seohae-ro at-grade intersection project, the city instead closed the passage box and switched to a gravity drainage system. The gravity drainage system cost 6.3 billion won, saving 1.5 billion won compared to the 7.8 billion won a pump station would have required, while also eliminating the roughly 74 million won in annual maintenance costs a pump station would have incurred.
The city is also expanding the project area. In July, it established a sewerage improvement plan and applied to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment for designation as a Priority Sewerage Management Area in 2026. The improvement plan includes areas of Buchun-dong and Yecheon-dong, which suffered damage from heavy rains in July last year.
