ULSAN — Ulsan's special account budget for waterworks next year has been set at a record 160 billion won, with the city concentrating the funds on repairing aging water pipes and extending service to unserved areas on the city's outskirts.
The Ulsan Waterworks Headquarters said on the 27th that it has drawn up a 2027 special account budget of 160 billion won, up about 7.5 billion won, or 5%, from this year's 152.5 billion won. The money comes from water rate revenue, which was raised in stages between 2022 and 2025, and from state subsidies for aging pipe repairs.
The largest share goes to replacing aging water mains. Pipes buried more than 30 years ago account for 24% of Ulsan's entire water network. The headquarters allocated 10.6 billion won for pipe replacement and reinforcement in next year's budget, with a separate 1.8 billion won for pipe cleaning. Including state funding from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the city will carry out a 52 billion won program to repair aging water pipes in stages from 2027 through 2032.
The city is also moving to close gaps in water access on the urban fringe. It will lay distribution pipes in four unserved areas, including Banyong Village in Beomseo-eup, Ulju County, where residents have relied on valley water or groundwater and faced shortages and concerns over water quality.
Infrastructure safety upgrades and an artificial intelligence transformation will proceed in parallel. The city will build a second transmission line for the Hoeya system and overhaul aging equipment at water treatment plants, distribution reservoirs and pumping stations to improve supply reliability. It will also spend 300 million won on a study for a master plan for an AI-based water supply system, drawing up a medium- to long-term roadmap for applying AI across every stage from raw water intake to treatment, transmission, distribution and delivery.
"Waterworks are essential infrastructure tied directly to residents' daily lives," Ulsan Administrative Vice Mayor Seo Nam-gyo said. "We will carry out the aging pipe repairs, the expansion of service to outlying areas and the facility upgrades reflected in next year's budget without delay, and build a stable water supply system."