Seoul City faces persistent urban environmental challenges due to sewage odors from combined sewerage systems and septic tanks. With sewage-related complaints accounting for 57% of all odor complaints in Seoul as of 2021, the city has operated over 700 odor reduction facilities since 2015. However, current management policies reveal institutional gaps in measuring and managing sewage odors, with existing facilities demonstrating only short-term effectiveness and lacking quantitative linkage to complaint resolution.
This study evaluates the performance of Seoul's sewage odor reduction facilities and proposes improvement strategies for operational management systems. Performance evaluation has relied on single metrics such as concentration changes, failing to consider operation hours and environmental factors. Statistical analysis revealed significant correlations between reduction efficiency and operational parameters like 'daily operation hours' and 'operation-to-stop ratios,' particularly for septic tank air supply devices.
Spatial analysis of complaint data from 2017-2024 examined trends before and after mobile facility installation. Buffer analysis found complaint reduction in major districts, suggesting mobile facilities contribute to complaint reduction. A pilot physical model simulating hydrogen sulfide dispersion within sewage pipelines demonstrated higher complaint density in areas with elevated concentrations, indicating potential for integrated modeling.
To ensure the sustained effectiveness of odor reduction facilities, a systematic strategy is needed across the full cycle of operation, management, and evaluation. This study proposes five key policy and technical improvements: (1) standardized performance evaluation criteria and manuals, (2) a shift to zone-based assessments focused on key management points, (3) enhanced mid- to long-term monitoring, (4) integration of resident-perceived outcomes, and (5) strengthened communication and institutionalization in facility management. Moving beyond concentration-based metrics, a comprehensive strategy incorporating spatial analysis, public perception, and institutional support is essential to improving Seoul’s sewage odor management.
A purpose-specific measurement framework prioritizes olfactory methods for complaint response, employs both olfactory and instrumental analysis for effectiveness evaluation, and uses real-time sensors for facility management. Comprehensive sewage odor management requires standardized evaluation criteria, zone-based systems, scientific site selection guidelines, and integrated databases encompassing facilities, complaints, and GIS data.
Seoul's sewage odor management policy needs transformation from quantitative facility installation to standardized evaluation, systematic data management, and sustainable approaches for enhanced urban environmental quality and citizen welfare.