Yang Jeongsuk: "Spreading a Mature Pet Culture Through the Practice of Manner Water"
Bucheon City Council in Gyeonggi Province has become the first in the nation to enact an ordinance promoting the use of "manner water" for pet dogs. "Manner water" refers to clean water that is sprayed to dilute a dog's urine.
The city council announced that the "Bucheon City Ordinance on Manner Water for Pet Dogs," sponsored by Councilor Yang Jeongsuk of the Administrative Welfare Committee (Democratic Party of Korea, Yakdae-dong, Jung 1, 2, 3, and 4-dong), passed the second plenary session of the 286th extraordinary meeting on September 17.
The ordinance aims to encourage citizens to voluntarily use manner water when walking their dogs. Its main provisions focus on raising awareness and promoting the practice to protect trees, prevent urban odors, alleviate pedestrians' discomfort, and foster a mature social culture of coexistence with companion animals.
Under current law, dog urine is only required to be cleaned up immediately if it occurs in elevators or on outdoor benches. However, experts point out that nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in dog urine can accumulate repeatedly in specific locations, causing tree death and soil pollution. In fact, local governments in Japan are actively promoting manner water campaigns, and some pet owners in Korea are also voluntarily adopting the practice.
In addition to the issue of tree death, Councilor Yang explained that the ordinance is also significant for resolving hygiene-related conflicts. According to a 2022 survey by the Korea Tourism Organization on "conflict experiences between pet owners and non-pet owners," 75% of non-pet owners cited hygiene issues such as excrement and odor as the main sources of conflict.
Councilor Yang stated, "I hope the culture of practicing manner water will spread, protecting urban trees and further fostering mutual understanding and reducing conflicts between pet owners and non-pet owners."
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