Objecting to a Sewerage Cost-Sharing Charge — Missing Deductions for Demolished Buildings, Wastewater Volume Review and Administrative Appeal Deadlines

Procedure

1. 1. Obtain the charge notice and calculation details

   Gather the estimated amount notice received at the building permit stage and the charge notice received before completion, and ask the charging authority for the calculation details showing floor area by use, the wastewater standard applied and the unit price. The Incheon Metropolitan City ordinance provides that the estimated amount is notified at the permit stage, the charge is imposed 1 month before the scheduled completion date, and the amount is calculated using the wastewater volume at completion and the unit price for the completion year. Record the date you received the notice separately, as it is the starting point for the objection and administrative appeal deadlines.

2. 2. Review the wastewater volume calculation

   Compare the floor area by use in the building register and drawings, item by item, against the wastewater generation standards by use in the notice. The notice provides that buildings with several uses are calculated by adding up each use, annex buildings that generate no wastewater are not calculated separately, and where the main use (such as a warehouse) generates no wastewater, only annex uses such as toilets and offices are calculated. Also check the provision allowing the figures to be adjusted based on objective data such as water usage where actual use does not match the standards.

3. 3. Check deductions for existing buildings and reductions

   If an existing building was demolished before new construction, or part of a building changed use, check whether the charge was calculated on the increase after deducting the existing building's wastewater volume. The way the existing wastewater volume is recognized can differ by ordinance and local government standard, so prepare the building register of the building before demolition, demolition records and receipts for any cost-sharing charge paid previously. Also check whether a reduction ground set by ordinance applies, such as installing a water reuse system or a rainwater harvesting facility.

4. 4. Prepare and submit an objection or grievance petition

   If a calculation error is found, prepare an objection stating the relevant provisions, the recalculated wastewater volume and amount, with supporting evidence, and submit it to the charging authority. The Incheon Metropolitan City ordinance requires a decision to be notified within 60 days of receiving the objection. If the objection period has passed or the matter is suited to resolution through consultation with the local government, a grievance petition to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission can also be prepared and submitted in writing.

5. 5. Prepare and submit an administrative appeal

   To challenge the result of an objection or contest the charge directly, prepare and submit an administrative appeal. An administrative appeal cannot be filed once 90 days have passed from the date you learned of the disposition, or 180 days from the date of the disposition. The appeal states the legal basis of the charge and each calculation error, with the recalculation sheet and evidence attached.

Required documents

• Cost-sharing charge objection form (the form set by the local government's sewerage use ordinance or rules, or a free-format document if none) or administrative appeal form (Enforcement Rule of the Administrative Appeals Act, Form No. 30)
• Cost-sharing charge notice and the estimated amount notice received at the building permit stage
• Calculation details from the charging authority (floor area by use, wastewater volume, unit price)
• Building register, use approval and floor area table by use and drawings of the new building
• Building register (including cancelled entries), demolition records and photos of the demolished existing building
• Receipts for any cost-sharing charge previously paid for the existing building (if any)
• Water usage data or evidence of reduction grounds (water reuse system, rainwater harvesting facility, etc., if applicable)
• Letter of authorization (when submitted by an agent)

Fees

Typically in the range of several hundred thousand won to around one million won across the industry · We provide a quote after consultation, depending on the size of the building and number of uses, whether the work stops at an objection or continues to an administrative appeal, and how much data is available for recalculation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Sewerage Act, Article 61
• Sewerage Act, Article 73
• Enforcement Decree of the Sewerage Act, Article 35
• Enforcement Decree of the Sewerage Act, Article 24, Paragraph 5
• Notice on Calculating Wastewater Generation and Septic Tank Capacity by Building Use (Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment)
• Incheon Metropolitan City Sewerage Use Ordinance, Articles 17, 21 and 22
• Administrative Appeals Act, Article 27
• Administrative Appeals Act, Article 30
• Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Article 39
• Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Article 43

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-13

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• An administrative appeal cannot be filed once 90 days have passed from the date you learned of the disposition, and filing a grievance petition does not stop this period, so calculate the deadline first from the date you received the notice.
• Some local governments, such as Incheon Metropolitan City under its ordinance, set the payment of the cost-sharing charge before building completion, so check the use approval schedule and payment deadline while the objection is in progress.

Frequently asked questions