Achievement Made Possible by Ongoing Public-Private Cooperation and Management
The water quality of Seongbukcheon in Seongbuk District, Seoul, has been rated at the highest level for the ninth consecutive time. According to Seongbuk District on April 25, Seongbukcheon received an average score of 91.25 in a water quality analysis conducted last month by the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment, earning the top grade of "Excellent."
Seongbuk District collects samples from two locations each month, including the Samseon Bridge site, and requests water quality analysis from the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment. The analysis covers eight items, including total coliform bacteria.
The results show that Seongbukcheon has consistently maintained the "Excellent" grade every month in the integrated water quality index for 31 streams in Seoul. In particular, in March, only eight out of all 31 streams in Seoul, including Seongbukcheon, received this top grade.
Seongbukcheon was also rated as Class 1, the cleanest level, in the stream water environmental classification based on biological oxygen demand (BOD). BOD measures the amount of oxygen required to decompose organic matter in water, and a value of 2 mg/L or less is classified as Class 1. Since full-scale water quality analysis began in December 2023, Seongbukcheon has never fallen below Class 2.
This achievement is attributed to various efforts, including continuous stream purification activities, facility maintenance, active participation by the residents' environmental monitoring group, and interdepartmental cooperation in Seongbuk District. In particular, the district immediately incorporates residents' requests for water quality analysis and shares the results through the district office website and electronic bulletin boards along the stream, establishing a system where both the public and the local government work together to protect the stream.
As a result, Seongbukcheon is home to a variety of species, including Coreoleuciscus splendidus, which inhabits only Class 1 waters, as well as mallards, grey herons, and little egrets, confirming the richness of the ecosystem. A clean stream also serves an important ecological function by reducing carbon and absorbing greenhouse gases.
District Mayor Lee Seungro stated, "Seongbukcheon has become a space for residents' cultural and health activities, and it is also contributing to the realization of carbon neutrality in Seongbuk District," adding, "We will continue to manage the stream together with residents in the future."
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