Busan is good

All Water Purifiers at General Social Welfare Centers Meet Safety Standards

내용

The Busan Institute of Health and Environment (hereinafter “the Institute”) announced that it conducted water quality inspections on all 224 water purifiers used at general social welfare centers in the city during the first half of this year, and confirmed that all units met the drinking water quality standards.

The inspection focused on two items specified under Article 2-2 (Installation and Management of Water Coolers and Purifiers) of the Enforcement Rules of the Drinking Water Management Act: ▲ total coliform group and ▲ turbidity.

The turbidity, which indicates how cloudy the water is, ranged from 0.04 NTU* to 0.28 NTU, all below the drinking water standard of 0.5 NTU. However, total coliform bacteria—one of the indicator microorganisms for waterborne diseases—were detected in two water purifiers during the first round of testing.

• ●NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit): A unit that measures the degree of light scattering in water. The higher the scattering, the greater the turbidity.

• ●
  

For the two purifiers in which total coliform bacteria were detected, the Institute immediately issued a notice to ▲ suspend use, ▲ inspect, and ▲ clean and disinfect the units. A second round of water quality testing was conducted, and both units were ultimately deemed compliant.

Since 2014, the Institute has expanded its testing coverage to include facilities used by vulnerable populations. It began with small-scale daycare centers (with a total floor area of less than 430 square meters) and, from 2024, extended inspections to include Community Childcare Centers and local children’s centers.

In addition, since 2019, the Institute has collaborated with the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education to conduct joint on-site inspections of water purifier management practices in schools. The results of the 2025 inspections will be announced at the end of this year.

Lee Yong-joo, Director General of the Busan Institute of Health and Environment, stated, “This year’s inspection results confirmed that all water purifiers in general social welfare centers, which are widely used by citizens, are safe. We will continue to expand the scope of inspections to ensure that citizens can safely drink water anywhere.”

He added, “Maintaining good hygiene practices in everyday life is critical for the safe use of purified water.”

Recommended hygiene guidelines include: ▲ regularly replacing the purifier filter ▲ routinely cleaning and disinfecting all parts in contact with water ▲ avoiding installation in places exposed to outdoor elements, direct sunlight, restrooms, or directly in front of air-conditioning/heating units ▲ avoiding direct contact of hands or mouth with the purifier’s spout during use.