People with severe disabilities and others no longer need to visit community centers or submit paperwork

Seoul becomes first city in South Korea to introduce paperless, one-stop discount application service

Discount records now viewable online; refund documents cut from five to three

A water bill sticks out of a mailbox at a residential building in Seoul. [Yonhap]
A water bill sticks out of a mailbox at a residential building in Seoul. [Yonhap]

Seoul residents will soon be able to check their eligibility for water bill discounts and apply online without submitting any supporting documents.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Saturday it has revamped the Arisu Water Billing Customer Center website to allow residents — including welfare recipients, people with severe disabilities and households with two or more children — to verify their eligibility and complete applications in a single online session, without visiting a community center or waterworks office. Seoul said it is the first city in South Korea to introduce such a paperless, one-stop discount application service.

Previously, eligible residents had to obtain proof-of-eligibility documents from a community center and submit them in person to a waterworks office. Under the new system, they can confirm their status on the website and apply immediately, with no additional paperwork required.

The city is also introducing simplified authentication through private-sector services such as Kakao and banking apps. Once registered, users can log in with a quick authentication method, and key functions — including bill inquiries, payments and service requests — will be accessible directly from the homepage.

Discount records, which previously required a call to a waterworks office, will now be viewable on the website. Households equipped with smart meters will also be able to monitor real-time water usage and meter status; smart meters are currently installed at 310,000 water taps across Seoul. The city has also reduced the number of documents required to claim refunds for billing errors from five to three.

"We will continue to identify and address inconveniences in our operations so that residents can use water billing services more easily and conveniently," said Kwon Min, head of the Seoul Arisu Headquarters.


ken@heraldcorp.com