Tap Water 'Manganese Contamination' in Yeongcheon City, Compensation Planned for Wansan and Geumnodong Residents... Plan to Cover Water Purifier Filter Replacement Costs

Yeongcheon City announced on the 18th that it will pursue compensation for damages caused by the temporary exceedance of manganese concentration standards in tap water that occurred between the 7th and 10th, and also revealed measures to prevent recurrence.

The recent tap water quality damage (manganese) was investigated after complaints were received on the 7th from some areas reporting that filters were turning blacker than usual.

Yeongcheon City Hall

As a result of the investigation, it was confirmed through the Korea Water Resources Corporation that manganese inflow occurred due to overturning phenomena at Yeongcheon Dam on the 8th. Accordingly, Yeongcheon City urgently strengthened chlorine treatment and carried out drainage work, restoring the tap water to a potable state by 6 a.m. on the 10th.

Consequently, Yeongcheon City advised residents of Wansan-dong and Geumnodong to refrain from drinking tap water from midnight to 6 a.m. on the 10th, as the manganese concentration exceeded 0.05 ppm. Manganese is known not to harm health but is primarily an aesthetic contaminant that affects the taste, odor, and turbidity of water.

Reflecting residents’ complaints, Yeongcheon City plans to establish a compensation review committee to set specific standards for damage compensation such as water purifier filter replacement costs and water tank cleaning fees, and will prepare a reasonable compensation plan considering cases from other local governments.

A Yeongcheon City official stated, “We plan to establish compensation standards by the end of this year and start accepting damage claims from residents of Wansan-dong and Geumnodong from next year. After the compensation review committee’s decision, we understand that a plan is being prepared to provide compensation for water purifier filter replacement costs and water tank cleaning fees to these residents.”

Furthermore, as a measure to prevent recurrence, a manganese water quality meter will be installed within the Waterworks Office to monitor water quality in real time. In addition, the initial response manual will be reinforced to enable swift and systematic action in case of similar incidents, thereby strengthening the system.

Mayor Choi Ki-moon of Yeongcheon said, “I sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience and concern caused to our citizens due to this tap water issue,” and added, “We will pursue appropriate compensation for affected citizens and strengthen management and monitoring systems to prevent similar accidents from recurring, striving to supply clean and safe tap water.”