Seoul City to Invest 528.3 Billion Won in This Year's Tap Water

Goal of World-Class Water Quality Management

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Seoul City announced on the 8th that it will invest 528.3 billion KRW this year solely in the water supply sector to produce and supply the world's cleanest tap water. The budget will be focused on producing world-class tap water that citizens can trust and drink, including improvements to water purification centers that produce tap water, water supply pipes, and water quality inspections for each household.

First, 20 billion KRW will be invested to produce the world's highest quality tap water by filtering it once more through granular activated carbon made from charcoal, and a total of 252.5 billion KRW will be invested in expanding purification facilities and smart automated processes.

In addition, to alleviate citizens' concerns about 'water pipes,' systematic maintenance will be promoted, including proactively replacing aging water supply pipes. This year, 128.4 billion KRW will be invested to replace 62 km of pipes, and pipes that have been used for over 30 years or have experienced leaks will be inspected, with plans to prioritize maintenance of 455 km of water pipes by 2024.

Cleaning of water supply pipes to ensure clean tap water supply will also be actively promoted. This year, 4.5 billion KRW will be invested to clean 21 km of large pipes (400 mm or larger) first, and 5.5 billion KRW will be invested to clean 755 km of small distribution pipes (80?350 mm). Mechanical cleaning will be used for large pipes, while small pipes will be cleaned in blocks.

Construction costs for replacing water supply pipes inside homes vulnerable to rust will also be actively supported. This is to fundamentally resolve rust water issues occurring in some aging homes. The number of households eligible for water pipe replacement support is 59,000, and this year, 8.5 billion KRW will be provided to replace pipes in 14,000 households first. The support amount covers up to 80% of the total construction cost, with a maximum of 1.5 million KRW for single-family homes, up to 5 million KRW for multi-family homes, and up to 1.4 million KRW per household for apartments and other collective housing (including 600,000 KRW per household for shared water supply pipes). For detailed consultation and eligibility confirmation, citizens can call the Dasan Call Foundation or the local waterworks office.

The number of water quality inspection items for Seoul's tap water, Arisu, will be expanded to 350 items. This is more than twice the 166 items recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and about six times the legal 'drinking water quality standards,' making it the highest level not only nationwide but also globally. The free on-site tap water quality inspection service, 'Arisu Quality Verification System,' will also be expanded. From this year through 2026, the goal is to conduct 1 million water quality inspections over four years, with 4.1 billion KRW invested this year to inspect 182,000 locations first.

Furthermore, 124.8 billion KRW will be invested to manage a safe tap water supply network. Facilities related to regional water reservoirs will be improved, and efforts will be made to prevent and repair leaks in water supply pipes. When water pipes need to be relocated due to conflicts with subways or other infrastructure, the Waterworks Headquarters will directly carry out the relocation work to enhance construction safety.

Yoo Yeon-sik, head of Seoul City's Waterworks Headquarters, said, “Seoul not only manages water quality at the world’s highest level but also meticulously manages the supply process by regularly replacing and cleaning water pipes. We will do our best to safely supply high-quality Arisu to every household so that everyone can trust and drink it.”