'Nakdong River Drinking Water Issue' Persists for 30 Years... Government, National Assembly, and Experts Join Forces

Strategic Forum Held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has joined forces with experts and the National Assembly to address the longstanding issue of drinking water from the Nakdong River, a matter that has persisted as a regional concern for many years.

At the "Strategic Forum for Solving the Nakdong River Drinking Water Issue" held on January 23 at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Seonghwan stated, "Supplying safe drinking water is not a matter of political choice, but a fundamental right of the people," adding, "We will ensure to develop practical solutions that combine science and policy." This forum was jointly organized by the Ministry and the National Assembly, together with three leading domestic academic societies in the field of water environment: the Korean Society of Environmental Engineers, the Korean Society on Water Environment, and the Korean Society for Water and Wastewater.

The Nakdong River drinking water issue has been an ongoing concern in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions for over 30 years. It began in 1991, when a phenol contamination accident in the Nakdong River threatened the safety of residents' drinking water.

To resolve this, the Ministry recently announced in its "2026 Major Policy Implementation Plan for the Water Sector" that it would secure new water sources for Daegu by changing the water intake method to riverbank filtration and groundwater (subsurface flow water), instead of relocating the current water source. Taking into account the total project cost and other factors, the government is reportedly considering a plan to supply 900,000 tons of water per day based on subsurface flow water and riverbank filtration from the Changnyeong and southern Changnyeong areas.

Algae Bloom in Nakdong River

(Gimhae=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Dongmin = Environmental organizations including Nakdong River Network, Korean Society of River Science, and Korea Federation for Environmental Movements held the "2024 Nakdong River Vigilante Field Investigation Press Conference" on the morning of the 19th at Daedong Wharf in Daedong-myeon, Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, confirming the algae bloom in the Nakdong River. 2024.8.19

Photo by Kim Dongmin

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Previously, in 2021, the Ministry developed the "Integrated Nakdong River Water Management Plan," which addressed both water quality improvement and the supply of safe drinking water from the main stream of the Nakdong River. However, after the 2022 local elections, no consensus was reached due to conflicting regional interests. The Daegu Metropolitan Government proposed utilizing the Andong Dam to improve water quality, and this proposal was reviewed by the Nakdong River Basin Water Management Committee. However, it faced opposition from other local governments within the basin.

In response, President Lee Jaemyung emphasized the government's responsible approach during a town hall meeting in Daegu in October last year, stating, "We will promptly establish a scientific and effective method to supply safe drinking water." The Ministry has already secured a budget for a feasibility study to develop solutions this year. In addition, it is continuing various communication efforts, including a series of expert roundtables, project briefings for the Daegu City Council, and meetings with local media.

Through this forum, the Ministry plans to comprehensively review the discussions held so far and actively incorporate the collected opinions into the operation of pilot test facilities during this year's feasibility study. The Ministry stated, "With the three leading academic societies in the water environment field participating as joint organizers, we expect to secure objectivity and reliability in policy discussions."