Environment ministry designates 11 new flood-prone areas for sewer upgrades

South Korea's environment ministry said Thursday it has designated 11 chronically flood-prone areas as priority zones for sewer improvement, committing about 550 billion won ($383 million) to keep urban flooding from overwhelming drainage systems during heavy rain.

The new designations cover districts that have repeatedly flooded when sewer capacity was exceeded, including Jakjeon-dong in Incheon and Eumnae-dong in Seosan. The ministry said the work will expand sewer pipes, build retention facilities and install rainwater pumping stations.

Of the 11 sites, nine were chosen through a competition in which 19 local governments applied for 29 locations, with flood damage and urgency weighed by a selection committee after on-site inspections. The remaining two — a stretch of Gyeryong-ro in Geoje and Bongpyeong-dong in Tongyeong — were designated directly after this summer's record downpours led to them being declared special disaster areas.

The program dates to 2013, when it was introduced under the Sewerage Act to let local governments move quickly on drainage projects with support from the national budget. The ministry has designated between 10 and 37 sites a year since then, 228 in total, and has provided 2.22 trillion won ($1.66 billion) in state funding for the work.

For this year's sites, the ministry plans to replace 68 kilometers of sewer lines, build or expand 12 pumping stations and install stormwater inlets. It said the cost and scope of the work may change after detailed design is completed.

"As climate change makes heavy downpours more frequent and raises the risk of urban flooding, we have focused this year on cleaning stormwater inlets and installing manhole fall-prevention facilities, while also working on pipe maintenance and expanding pumping stations," said Cho Hyun-soo, director-general for water environment policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. "We will continue to work with local governments to carry out sewer improvement projects swiftly and do our best to keep the public safe."