Sewage Floods Apartment Toilets... 40kg of Rice Found Blocking Pipes Causes Backflow

Toilets Back Up in Lower-Floor Units After 40kg of Rice Clogs Pipe
Specific Source and Entry Route of Rice Remain Unknown
Negligent Pipe Management Can Lead to Millions of Won in Compensation Rulings

Controversy has arisen after a report that approximately 40 kilograms of rice were found blocking the wastewater pipe during cleaning, which had caused sewage to back up in bathrooms of the lower-floor units of an apartment complex. On the 27th, a photo of a notice posted by an apartment management office titled "Absolutely No Foreign Objects in the Toilet" was uploaded on social networking services (SNS) and social media. According to the notice, on the night of the 21st, a serious incident of sewage backflow, resulting in severe contamination of a bathroom, occurred in a lower-floor unit of a building in the apartment complex.

On the 27th, a photo of a notice titled "Absolutely No Foreign Objects in the Toilet" posted by an apartment management office was uploaded on social networking services (SNS) and social media. Photo from SNS galmari

The management office hired a professional company to carry out overnight cleaning operations on the wastewater pipes for two days. As a result of the work, approximately 40 kilograms of rice were discovered inside the pipe. It was determined that the rice had blocked the flow of sewage and caused the backflow into the toilets of lower-floor units. However, the notice did not specify how the rice entered the wastewater pipe or which unit it came from.

The management office warned, "Disposing of rice, wet wipes, sanitary pads, food waste, socks, and other non-dissolvable foreign objects in the toilet or drain can accumulate in the main wastewater pipe and lead to major backflow damage." The office further requested, "Restoration and cleaning costs ultimately become a shared management fee burden, so please flush only waste and toilet paper down the toilet, and dispose of other items using designated waste bags."

Upon learning about the incident, online users responded with comments such as, "The fact that it's rice is surprising, but the amount—40 kilograms—is truly shocking," "Why on earth would anyone throw that into the drainage system?" and "The person responsible should be identified and charged for the costs." Some users also shared personal accounts of having witnessed apartment pipes clogged by various foreign objects such as beans, radishes, seashells, and underwear.

Meanwhile, backflow accidents caused by foreign objects in wastewater pipes can result in substantial property damage and legal disputes. Previously, in 2021, an apartment in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon experienced sewage backflow due to a blockage in the common drainage system, resulting in damage to household appliances and clothing. The court ruled that the negligence in managing the common pipes was the cause of the incident and ordered the residents’ association to compensate the victim with over 56 million won. In the same year, in Donghae, Gangwon Province, a basement wastewater cross pipe in an apartment complex was clogged with tissue and food waste, which led to flooding that affected two households. The residents’ association reportedly paid a total of over 8.6 million won in compensation to the affected households.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.