"Dead Larvae Found in Shower Filters"... Incheon City Larvae Tap Water 청 Petition Urges Disciplinary Action Against Responsible Officials

As of 1 PM on the 15th, 101 Complaints Related to Tap Water Larvae

On the 15th, a petition titled "Request for Resolution of Insect Larvae in Tap Water in Incheon and Disciplinary Action Against Related Officials" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] As 'tap water larvae' have been repeatedly found in the Seo-gu and Bupyeong-gu areas of Incheon, raising residents' concerns, a national petition demanding countermeasures and disciplinary action against those responsible has been posted.

On the 15th, a post titled "Request for Resolution of Incheon City Larvae Tap Water Issue and Disciplinary Action Against Related Officials" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner stated, "It has been just over a year since the Incheon red tap water incident in May last year, and it has yet to be resolved. The shower filter in my home still turns red every 1 to 2 weeks," and added, "I heard on the morning news that larvae, not red rust water, were found in the tap water of Seo-gu, Incheon."

He expressed his grievances, saying, "My family lives the same way at home, and there are households with children who cannot go outside due to COVID-19, also using tap water at home. After work, I stopped by a nearby mart to buy bottled water, but it was already sold out. When I checked at home, the expensive shower filter I bought was already filled with dead larvae in many places."

He continued, "Thinking that my pregnant wife and the baby in her womb have been drinking and living with such dirty water until now makes my blood boil," and exclaimed, "Mr. President, have you ever drunk red-stained water that might contain unknown substances, or water crawling with invisible bugs? Would you feed that to your family?"

On the 14th, posts along with videos and photos were repeatedly uploaded on mom cafes in Seo-gu, Incheon, reporting that larvae were found in filters installed on faucets. The photo shows larvae inside a shower filter posted on a mom cafe in Seo-gu area. Photo by Yonhap News

The petitioner pointed out, "The related department is saying, 'We are investigating the cause of the problem. We don't know how long it will take to confirm. We will provide Michuhol bottled water,' but it was evident that those responsible for tasks related to human life and safety were handling this with a complacent administrative attitude without any goal to resolve the issue."

He raised his voice, saying, "The previous Incheon red tap water incident and now the larvae tap water issue are not natural disasters. I assure you, these are man-made disasters, human errors," and urged, "Please promise a prompt resolution and take measures so that the affected local residents can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."

He also urged, "Do not let this problem, caused by negligence and poor management of the Incheon City Waterworks Office officials, pass as if it were nothing. It is the responsibility of not only the department head but also all related staff and managers. The facts must be revealed and punishment must be enforced."

As of 7 a.m. on the 16th, the petition had gained the support of 7,164 people.

Meanwhile, according to Incheon City, by 1 p.m. on the same day, 101 complaints related to tap water larvae had been filed. This is nearly five times the 23 complaints reported by noon the previous day (the 14th). The affected areas have also expanded to include Seo-gu, Ganghwa-gun, Gyeyang-gu, and Bupyeong-gu.