Chungnam Province to Invest 40 Billion Won Including National Funds
Main Project to Begin After Watershed Diagnosis by 2026
On July 30, Chungnam Province announced that Taeancheon, a key tributary flowing into Bunam Lake in Taean County, has been finally selected as a target area for the Ministry of Environment's "Integrated Intensive Polluted River Improvement Project" watershed diagnosis.
This project is a major investment initiative by the Ministry of Environment, allocating large-scale national funds to rapidly improve river water quality, and is expected to deliver substantial water quality improvement effects.
Taeancheon is a complex watershed where urban and rural areas are mixed. Its water quality is low, at BOD grade 3, and it receives a high influx of non-point source pollution.
The province will begin the watershed diagnosis with a kick-off briefing held on this day and continue the process until March 2026.
The Ministry of Environment will invest 240 million won in national funds for the diagnosis. For the main project phase, a total of 40 billion won will be invested, including 20 billion won in national funds and 20 billion won in local funds.
Based on the results of the watershed diagnosis, the province plans to develop scientific and systematic improvement measures to accelerate water quality improvement in Bunam Lake.
Taeancheon is one of the main rivers that flow directly into Bunam Lake. Bunam Lake itself is in urgent need of water quality improvement, currently rated at TOC grades 5 to 6.
Previously, in March, Chungnam Province applied to designate Taeancheon as a project target. Out of 10 rivers from 7 metropolitan local governments that competed in this public offering, Taeancheon was selected as one of the final two rivers.
Kim Youngmyung, Director of the Environment and Forestry Bureau of the province, stated, "Starting with Taeancheon, we plan to gradually improve the water quality of other rivers within the Bunam Lake watershed," and added, "We will also contribute to enhancing the value of Bunam Lake as an ecological and tourism asset."
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