Gangneung to Begin Water Rationing on the 6th: "Worst Drought in 108 Years, Citizens' Cooperation Needed"

Mayor Kim Hongkyu Holds Emergency Press Conference
Gangneung to Prioritize Water Rationing for 123 Major Consumers

Gangneung City in Gangwon Province will begin water rationing from 9 a.m. on September 6, due to the worst drought in 108 years.

Kim Hongkyu, mayor of Gangneung, held an emergency press conference on the 5th and announced, "Due to the worst drought in 108 years, water rationing will begin from 9 a.m. on the 6th." Provided by Gangneung City

On September 5, Mayor Kim Hongkyu of Gangneung held an emergency press conference and announced, "The water level at the Obong Reservoir has dropped to the 13% range, which is the lowest on record, so we are inevitably implementing water restrictions."

This measure targets 123 large water consumers within the Hongje Water Purification Plant supply area, excluding Jumunjin-eup, Wangsan-myeon, and Yeongok-myeon. These include 10 large accommodation facilities and 113 apartment complexes, each with water tanks of at least 100 tons. The city will suspend the existing supply from the Hongje Water Purification Plant and, in cooperation with the fire authorities, directly supply water to the tanks at each facility.

Mayor Kim stated, "We have requested a voluntary 75% reduction in water use from these large consumers, but since the effect has been minimal, we are applying water rationing as a priority. If the reservoir level falls below 10%, we will have no choice but to expand the restrictions to the entire area."

Gangneung City has also prepared a phased water rationing plan.

In the first phase, water supply will be restricted from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day. In the second phase, water rationing will be implemented every other day.

Mayor Kim emphasized, "This is a critical moment," and urged citizens to take small actions such as doing laundry in batches, saving bathwater, placing bricks in toilet tanks, and reusing greywater, saying that these efforts can help overcome the crisis.

The city plans to provide practical incentives to households and facilities that participate in water conservation. Currently, water-saving campaigns are being carried out by local organizations and community leaders in each district and neighborhood.

Mayor Kim expressed his gratitude, saying, "The government has declared a disaster situation for the first time due to a natural disaster, and we have received warm support from across the country." He especially thanked the farmers who stopped using agricultural water, saying, "I am both sorry and grateful," and stressed, "We will mobilize all available water sources to prevent any damage during the harvest season."

Mayor Kim added, "Although Gangneung is experiencing an unprecedented drought, we are enduring this crisis thanks to the cooperation and community spirit of our citizens. Until the drought is resolved, Gangneung City will mobilize all its resources and stand with the citizens."