Seoulland, Pre-stored Water in Arisu Tank Used
Everland, Reservoir Water Purified Before Use
As the intense heat begins in earnest, water festivals have also kicked off. Summer 'water festivals' are staple content at amusement parks and festival events, enjoying great popularity every year. However, since South Korea is a water-scarce country, there are ongoing criticisms that consuming large amounts of water for one-time festivals is wasteful.
On the 22nd, Seoul Land announced that it will hold the '2024 Water Wars Festival' from that day until August 27. The Water Wars Festival is Seoul Land's representative summer festival. It features water-themed performances such as water shows using water cannons. Seoul Land has announced a daily water volume offensive of 100 tons (t) during the festival's highlight event, 'Water Pop.'
Samsung C&T Resort Division Everland announced on the 17th that it will hold the summer festival "Water Stellar" from the 21st to August 25th. The photo shows the performance of the giant water show "Shooting Water Fun." Photo by Yonhap News, Samsung C&T Resort Division
Samsung C&T Resort Division's Everland also started its summer festival themed around water, 'Water Stella,' on the 21st. The Water Stella festival, where visitors enjoy spraying and being sprayed with water, will continue until August 25. The main program of Water Stella is the giant water show 'Shooting Water Fun Season 2.' Shooting Water Fun is famous for performances where water gushes refreshingly from all directions to create a water park atmosphere. This year, water guns have been installed more extensively on the plaza stage and floats, and a splash zone where water pours intensively has been newly created in the audience area, allowing for even more enjoyable water play.
Hundreds of Tons of Water Used in One Festival... Where Does It Come From?
The water used at Seoul Land and Everland is tap water. In the case of Seoul Land, water is secured for the festival by filling water tanks before the event. A Seoul Land official explained, "Water comes in through the tap water facilities, and it is stored in water tanks for use during the festival," adding, "Since it is Arisu water, it is potable and can be used as drinking water."
Everland uses reservoir water located on its site in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. An Everland official said, "Although we sometimes use regular tap water, most of the water used for the festival is drawn from the reservoir," and added, "We treat the reservoir water as tap water at Everland's own water purification plant." Everland also stated that it recycles leftover water after the festival. The used water is classified as greywater, and since it cannot be treated back into tap water, it is used for purposes such as toilet flushing and watering gardens within Everland.
However, Everland did not disclose the specific daily water usage during the water festival period. An Everland official emphasized, "We collect and make the most of the leftover water after the festival," and added, "Also, if it is risky to use large amounts of water due to drought, we operate by scaling down the water festival."
South Korea is a 'Water-Stressed Country'... Psy Faces Backlash for Spraying 300 Tons of Water at Concert
South Korea's average annual precipitation is 1,299.7 mm (average from 1986 to 2015), about 1.6 times the global average of 813 mm, but due to high population density, the annual precipitation per capita is 2,546 cubic meters, about one-sixth of the global average of 15,044 cubic meters. Additionally, South Korea has characteristics unfavorable for water management: only about 26% of annual precipitation is actually available for use, and there are significant differences in precipitation by year, region, and season. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) analyzed in its 2021 report on 'Progress in National Water Stress Levels' that South Korea's water stress level of 85.52% is severe.
As a result, the use of large amounts of water at amusement parks and festival events during summer is sometimes subject to social criticism. Recently, despite the popularity that has even sparked 'scalping' controversies, singer Psy's 'Hmphok Show' has not been free from 'water waste' criticism. Now in its 12th year, the Hmphok Show is a concert concept where water cannons and other means are used to spray water liberally to cool off the summer heat.
However, the show faced heavy criticism for proceeding in 2022 despite a severe drought that was serious enough to prompt rain rituals. The opinion grew that using about 300 tons of water during a drought was inappropriate. At that time, Psy appeared on a variety show and revealed that he sprays 300 tons of drinking water per performance, fueling the controversy.
This criticism also affected the music festival Waterbomb. Opened in the summer of 2015, Waterbomb is an audience-participation music event where water cannons are fired from the stage and the audience engages in water gun fights. Actress Lee El sharply criticized on her social media in 2022, saying, "Waterbomb concert uses 300 tons of water; I wish it were poured into the Soyang River." Similar controversies continued last year. At that time, the Gwangju region was experiencing severe drought, and many citizens were participating in 'water-saving campaigns.' When news of the Waterbomb concert being held spread, public criticism surged, and the Waterbomb event was ultimately canceled.
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