[Anchor]
The monsoon season has begun across the country. To prevent flood damage, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been installing paving blocks designed to allow rainwater to drain. However, it has been found that these blocks are failing to perform their intended function.
Here is Morning Zoom-in with Climate and Environment Specialist Reporter Jang Se-man.
[Reporter]
On a rainy city street, rainwater pools on the asphalt, while the path paved with blocks remains clear.
This is a section installed with permeable blocks, which allow water to pass through.
These blocks are designed with numerous microscopic pores that allow rainwater to drain and seep into the soil.
[Interview: Jo Si-hyung / Seoul Metropolitan Government Official in Charge of Permeable Blocks: Permeable blocks absorb some of the rainwater, playing a role in preventing urban flood damage.]
Videos from permeable block manufacturers clearly show the difference between these blocks and regular paving blocks that do not absorb water.
But do the permeable blocks actually installed on the streets drain water as effectively?
The Seoul Institute conducted a field survey on 30 locations where the blocks had been installed for less than a year.
The method involved placing a bucket on the permeable blocks and measuring how quickly the water drained through.
While 10 locations met the installation standard of absorbing at least 0.1mm per second, 18 locations showed an absorption rate of only 40 percent of the standard, and the remaining 2 locations did not drain any water at all.
This means two-thirds of the sites were defective.
[Interview: Park Dae-geun / Senior Research Fellow at The Seoul Institute: The results showed that about two-thirds were either clogged or mostly blocked. We need to recognize the severity of these performance survey results.]
Previously, the Seoul Metropolitan Government enacted an ordinance in 2015 mandating the installation of permeable blocks to reduce rain-related damage.
The city explains that over time, foreign substances such as dust or dirt can enter and clog the pores of the permeable blocks.
However, as a large number of permeable blocks installed less than a year ago were found to be defective, critics point out that it is necessary to investigate whether substandard products were supplied.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to expand the scope of its investigation to 1,000 locations for precise measurement.
(Video reporting: Kim Young-hwan, Video editing: Ahn Yeo-jin)
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