Sokcho City to Track Down Water Leaks... Four Nighttime Leak Tests

Tests to be held Nov. 10-24 in Joyang-dong, Cheongho-dong, Daepo-dong and Seorak-dong
Temporary water outages and pressure drops expected
52.7 km of aging water mains to be upgraded by 2031
Expected to reduce water leakage by 2,500 tons per day

Sokcho City in Gangwon Province will conduct four nighttime leak detection tests from November 10 through 24 to locate leaks in aging water mains. Water service may be temporarily interrupted or water pressure may drop in areas covered by the tests.

Notice of Nighttime Leak Testing on Aging Water Pipes in Sokcho. Provided by Sokcho City.

The tests are preliminary work for Phase 2 of the Aging Water Supply Network Improvement Project. The work will be carried out across four sections covering Joyang-dong, Cheongho-dong, Daepo-dong, and Seorak-dong. To minimize inconvenience to residents, each test will run from midnight to 5 a.m.

On November 10, testing will take place around Cheongbong Elementary School, the Joyang-dong Prehistoric Site, Buwol-ri Village Hall, and The Mark Hotel. On November 12, it will take place around Shinyoung Highlife, Seorak Hanshin Apartments, and Joyang Methodist Church. On November 17, testing will be conducted around Lotte Resort, Cassia Sokcho, Maremons Hotel, and the Memorial Tower. On November 24, it will take place around Geumgang Banya Village Hall, Seorak Elementary School, and Kensington Seorak.

The tests involve separating the water supply network into sections and gradually shutting off the water supply to check for leaks and identify suspected leak areas. The city said some areas may experience water outages or reduced water pressure, and the water may appear cloudy during the process.

Based on the test results, the city plans to pinpoint leaks in Central 2, Central 5, and Seorak, the priority areas for repairs, and begin work on the pipelines.

Phase 2 is a project to improve 52.7 kilometers of aging water mains by 2031. Along with replacing pipelines, the project will include managing water pressure and flow and updating digital records of water supply network maps. The city expects the project to reduce water leakage by an additional approximately 2,500 tons per day once completed.

In Phase 1, carried out from 2019 to 2024, the city improved 25 kilometers of aging pipes and repaired 250 leaks. The revenue water rate in the project area rose from 59.3% to 92.4%. The revenue water rate is the proportion of supplied tap water that generates revenue from water bills and is an indicator of the efficiency of water supply operations.

The city plans to reduce leaks to improve the reliability of tap water supplies during dry periods, while also addressing ground subsidence and reduced water pressure caused by leaks from aging pipes.

Sokcho Mayor Lee Byung-sun said, "This testing is an important step toward accurately locating leaks and improving the effectiveness of repairs to aging water mains, and we ask residents for their understanding and cooperation. We will reduce water loss and manage pipelines systematically to establish a reliable foundation for supplying tap water that residents can use with confidence."

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