Uranium Exceeds Limit in Ganghwa Seogeom Island Village Water… Water Supply Restored After Purification Facility Installed

The Ganghwa Waterworks Office of the Incheon Metropolitan Waterworks Authority has completed safety measures — including suspending use and installing a purification facility — for uranium detected above drinking-water quality standards at a village water supply facility in Seogeom-ri, Samsan-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, and restored normal water supply as of the 26th. As a matter directly tied to the drinking-water safety of residents on the island, a ban on consumption and the provision of alternative drinking water were carried out immediately after the excess was confirmed.

[코리안투데이] Purification facility at the Ganghwa Seogeom Island village water supply © 장형임 기자

The measures began with a purification water-quality inspection of the small-scale Seogeom water supply facility conducted this past July. Of the three wells tested, one showed a uranium concentration of 0.045mg/L, exceeding the drinking-water quality standard of 0.03mg/L. Uranium is a radioactive substance that can be detected even in groundwater in its natural state, and because drinking water that exceeds the standard over a long period can affect health, it is strictly managed as an item of drinking-water control.

As soon as it confirmed that the standard had been exceeded, the Ganghwa Waterworks Office suspended use of the well in question, notified residents of the inspection results, and issued guidance on a ban on consumption. Given that the island region has limited water sources, raising concerns over inconvenience to residents’ drinking water, 960 bottles of 1.8L Incheon Haneulsu were provided on an emergency basis to fill the immediate gap in drinking water. A residents’ briefing session was then held to explain the purification facility installation and the construction schedule, and to gather residents’ opinions.

As a fundamental measure, a project budget of 80 million won was invested to install a small ion-exchange resin purification facility to remove uranium and other harmful components. Installation of the purification facility was completed on the 13th, and after a trial run its water-quality stability was confirmed.

After the facility went into operation, a water-quality inspection by the Waterworks Authority’s Clean Water Research Institute found no uranium detected, and all 61 inspection items were confirmed to be within normal ranges. Accordingly, the Ganghwa Waterworks Office restored normal water-supply operation of the Seogeom Island village water facility as of the 26th.

On Yun-hui, head of the Incheon Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, said, ‘We will conduct regular monthly water-quality inspections until the water quality is fully stabilized, doing everything possible so that residents can drink water with peace of mind.’ The step-by-step response — from confirming the excess to suspending use, providing alternative drinking water, installing the facility, and re-testing — is significant in that it placed residents’ drinking-water safety as the top priority.

지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화

This code contains the original Korean article.

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