No More Summer Water Shortage Worries! ... Gimhae City Operates 'Emergency Water Supply Countermeasure Situation Room'

Permanent Standby of In-house Mobile Repair Team and Water Supply Agency

Ensuring Proper Water Levels and Hygiene Management at Water Purification Plants and Reservoirs

Myeongdong Water Purification Plant, Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, will operate an emergency water supply countermeasure situation room until September to prepare for the surge in water demand during the summer season.

Depending on the temperature and heatwave advisories and warnings, the situation room will be staffed with 2 to 7 members in stages to manage countermeasures.

Two in-house mobile repair teams and three water supply contractors will be on standby at all times, establishing a 24-hour emergency contact system to prevent inconvenience in tap water use.

To ensure the safety of the bottled tap water supply, Chansaemi, Gimhae City will also manage hygiene at the water purification plants and reservoirs.

Samgye and Myeongdong purification plants will secure appropriate water levels in the purification and distribution reservoirs and strengthen real-time water quality monitoring for each purification process.

Since 2019, Gimhae City’s purification plants have been operated under the international standard ISO22000 for food safety management systems, and the bottled tap water production facilities used during various events or emergencies have received water hygiene quality certification from the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation).

In April last year, ultra-fine insect screens and air curtains were installed on all doors, windows, and ventilation openings of the purification plants, and painting work and pest control device maintenance were carried out to fundamentally block the entry of small insects such as water bugs and larvae, reinforcing the facilities.

Since June last year, improvement projects for internal facilities of five reservoirs, including Jinyeong and Jangyu highland reservoirs, have been underway and are expected to be completed this month.

Durable and chemical-resistant tiles will be installed in five locations, including Yulha and Sambang reservoirs, to fully repair and reinforce the concrete reservoirs.

Additionally, the city operates a tap water safety confirmation system, allowing households to check water quality for free by applying through the Water Love website or by phone, and plans to distribute additional promotional materials for water conservation and practice in daily life following February’s campaign.

A Gimhae City official said, “Above all, citizen trust that tap water is safe and stable is the most important,” adding, “We will operate an emergency water supply system during the summer to provide hygienic and stable tap water.”