Ulsan Water Supply Cut for Second Day Amid Heatwave Due to Unfound Leak

【Financial News Ulsan=Choi Su-sang reporter】 Following the flooding of the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Ulsan a week after being listed as a World Heritage Site, the first bridge in Ulsan, 101 years old, has subsided due to the swollen Taehwa River. Additionally, a large water supply pipe buried under the Taehwa River has been damaged, leaving 35,000 households without water for the second day amid a heatwave advisory. 
According to Ulsan City on the 21st, the deck of the old Samho Bridge, connecting Samho-dong in Nam-gu and Daun-dong in Jung-gu, Ulsan, subsided around 8:33 PM the previous day. It is presumed to have occurred as two of the bridge piers that supported the deck subsided. The subsided piers show signs of collapse, with the waist part bent and reinforced concrete falling. 
Currently, it is presumed that the subsidence occurred as the ground under the piers was washed away by the swollen river water due to heavy rain. 

The police have banned residents from crossing, and the jurisdictional Jung-gu of Ulsan is conducting a safety inspection.
The old Samho Bridge, installed on the Taehwa River during the Japanese colonial period in 1924, was designated as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 104 on September 4, 2004. Despite withstanding numerous large typhoons and massive floods over 101 years, it is facing a collapse crisis due to this heavy rain. Depending on the safety inspection results, complete demolition is anticipated. 
Residents of six towns, including Eonyang-eup, Samnam-eup, Samdong-myeon, Sangbuk-myeon, Duseo-myeon, and Dudong-myeon, in the western Ulsan area, numbering over 68,000, are suffering from a water supply cut for the second day. The suffering is exacerbated under the heatwave advisory issued after the end of the rainy season. 
The large 900mm diameter water supply pipe buried under the Sayeon Bridge in Beomseo-eup, Ulju-gun, was damaged around noon on the 19th when a flood warning was issued for the Taehwa River. Although restoration work began hastily from the early morning of the next day, the work is delayed as the damaged part cannot be found due to the swollen river water.
An official from the Ulsan Waterworks Headquarters said, "Once the leak path is found, it takes 3 to 4 hours to replace it with a new pipe," adding, "We are currently focusing on finding the leak point." 
In response, Ulsan City is deploying 39 water supply trucks to provide living water to residents by designated dispatch to apartment complexes and residential areas. Ulju-gun is supporting bottled water for drinking purposes. 

However, major markets such as Eonyang Alps Market and main restaurants are experiencing difficulties in operation. Fortunately, large business sites in Samnam-eup, such as Samsung SDI and Ottogi, are receiving the necessary water through industrial water pipes, so there is no disruption in production. However, major public facilities are experiencing inconvenience as the water supply is cut off.
On the 12th, the news of the inscription of the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Daegok-ri, Ulju, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site was delivered, and by 1 PM on the 19th, it was completely submerged. As of 1:30 PM on this day, the water level of the Sayeon Dam is maintained at 58.9m. It is expected to take about a month for the Bangudae Petroglyphs to reappear from the water.

ulsan@fnnews.com Choi Su-sang reporter