Pohang City: Temporary Rise in Manganese Levels Due to Water System Change
Temporary Phenomenon... No Harm to Human Health Expected
In the Buk-gu area of Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, complaints have been rising as household tap water filters turn reddish just one day after being replaced.
According to Pohang City and citizen online communities on the 8th, recent complaints have been raised that filters connected to faucets in homes in the Buk-gu area quickly turn dark reddish, reported Yonhap News Agency.
One resident stated that the shower filter turned dark reddish just one day after replacement. Another resident said, "Usually, filters are replaced after using them for more than three months, but I had to replace it after two days because it turned black," adding, "This is the first time this has happened." There was also a resident who claimed, "After changing the filter and taking a shower once, it turns pitch black."
These complaints have been ongoing since the end of last month in areas including Jangseong-dong, Duho-dong, Yangdeok-dong, Hwanho-dong in Buk-gu, and Chogok-ri in Heunghae-eup, Pohang.
Pohang City explained that this phenomenon occurred due to an increase in manganese levels in the raw water of tap water during the process of changing the water source.
On the 31st of last month, the city changed the water source for household water in the Buk-gu area from Imha Dam to Yeongcheon Dam. This was because heavy rain around Andong Imha Dam had caused the water to become turbid.
During this process, water from Yeongcheon Dam was filtered to meet drinking water quality standards before being supplied to households, but a higher-than-usual level of manganese was included in the household water. It is explained that the filters installed in each home discolored while filtering trace amounts of manganese.
Manganese is a type of mineral, and the allowable limit in tap water is 0.05mg/L or less. Even trace amounts can cause discoloration when passing through household water filters, but if within water quality standards, it poses no harm to human health.
After complaints were raised, the city changed the water source back to Imha Dam starting from the 7th of this month and installed manganese removal facilities at the Yangdeok Water Purification Plant to filter out manganese.
A city official said, "While excessive intake of manganese can cause problems, trace amounts are harmless to the human body," adding, "The filter discoloration is a temporary phenomenon due to the water source change and will improve soon."
Earlier in June, dozens of complaints were reported from several apartments in Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province, where household water purification filters turned brown. Inspection results confirmed that manganese was the main cause of the discoloration.
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