"Only Four Hours of Tap Water a Day, Can't Even Use the Toilet"... Gangneung Residents Struggle to Conserve Water Amid Drought

Living on Bottled Water and Stored Water Amid Apartment Water Outages
Disposable Items and Drums Sell Out as Soon as They Arrive
Authorities Mobilize Emergency Water Supply, but Efforts Fall Short

On the 5th, bottled water was distributed to residents at Gangnam Soccer Park in Gangnam-dong, Gangneung City, Gangwon Province. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

As the worst drought continues in the Gangneung area of Gangwon Province, residents are making efforts to conserve water in all aspects of their daily lives. Some apartment complexes are under restricted water supply, with tap water available for only four hours a day, while complexes with water tanks are even experiencing complete water outages.

On September 9, posts expressing inconvenience have been continuously appearing on online communities. A resident of Hongje-dong, Gangneung City, said, "We are cooking rice with bottled water and washing with stored water." Another resident of Naegok-dong commented, "The greatest hardship is not being able to wash or flush the toilet."

The water supply suspension has also changed daily routines. At home, people are using disposable tableware to save dishwashing water, and some welfare facilities are covering meal trays with sanitary plastic wrap to reduce the amount of water needed for cleaning. Local communities are sharing water-saving tips such as "lining plates with plastic," "stockpiling instant rice and cup noodles," and "using disposable chopsticks."

A lifestyle goods store in downtown Gangneung is seen gathering and selling essential items for restricted water supply. Photo by Yonhap News

At lifestyle goods stores, disposable items and storage containers like drums are selling out rapidly. An employee at a store in Gyodong, Gangneung, said, "As soon as the items arrive, they sell out immediately."

The Gangneung city government has mobilized helicopters, navy vessels, and water trucks for emergency water supply, but the reservoir levels remain low. As of this day, the Obong Reservoir, which supplies 87% of Gangneung's domestic water, had dropped to just 12%. Authorities are even considering releasing 150,000 tons of water from the Doam Dam, which has not been used for over 20 years due to water quality concerns.

The Gangneung city government stated, "Overcoming the drought requires the cooperation of all citizens," urging everyone to participate in water conservation efforts.