Incheon City Develops Comprehensive Management Plan for Cleaner Tap Water Supply

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters announced on the 20th that it will establish and implement a comprehensive management plan to supply cleaner tap water.

The comprehensive plan includes management systems by sector such as tap water production management from the intake facility to consumers, improving public trust, and expert policy participation.

It also establishes management measures according to seasonal changes in raw water quality to fundamentally remove algae and small organisms, and prepares water quality management plans for vulnerable periods such as holidays, rainy seasons, and winter, aiming for uninterrupted water quality management 365 days a year.

Group practical training, which was suspended due to COVID-19, will also resume to strengthen the capabilities of water quality management personnel, and through work exchanges between water purification plants and dissemination of best practices, more efficient water quality management methods will be sought.

The city’s Waterworks Headquarters plans to invest 11.6 billion KRW this year to improve intake and purification facilities and water quality testing equipment, strengthen water quality inspections from raw water to faucets, and disclose the results through the Tap Water Evaluation Committee involving citizen representatives and experts, the website, and neighborhood newsletters.

In addition, step-by-step measures will be established to prepare for deterioration of raw water quality such as algae outbreaks and high turbidity raw water inflow, and the water purification process will be strengthened by installing filtration nets in the inflow pipes of water reservoirs to prepare for the occurrence of small organisms.

Lee Eung-gil, head of the city’s Waterworks Headquarters, said, "To always supply clean tap water, it is very important to establish a thorough water quality management system and strengthen staff capabilities," adding, "We will do our best to produce high-quality tap water to restore citizens’ trust in Incheon Haneulsu (the new name of Incheon tap water)."

Panoramic View of Incheon City Waterworks Headquarters