20L Paint Disposed in a Home... Took 14 Hours to Purify Blue Stream

Ansan City Confirms Leakage from Household
Statement: "I Disposed of 20 Liters of Paint at Home"

A citizen in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province was caught by authorities after disposing water-based paint into a stream through a household drain.

Water-based paint spilled in the upper reaches of Ansancheon. Ansan City · Yonhap News

According to Ansan City on the 3rd, a report was received at city hall around 6 p.m. the previous day stating, "Blue water is flowing in Beolmalcheon, the upper stream of Ansancheon."

Officials from the Environmental Policy Division who arrived at the scene found blue substances flowing in the stream. There was no fish kill, which typically occurs when toxic substances leak into a waterway.

The officials tracked the blue substance in the drainage pipe for about 30 minutes and confirmed it was leaking from a household. The person responsible stated, "I disposed of 20 liters of blue water-based paint into the drain at home."

The city mobilized equipment including a tanker pump truck, excavator, water pump, and nonwoven fabric to carry out cleanup operations. After overnight work lasting about 14 hours and 30 minutes, the paint removal was completed around 8:30 a.m. that day, and dilution treatment of the contaminated water is ongoing.

The city stated it is considering whether to file a police complaint.