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Busan Metropolitan City Convenes Water Management Committee, Focuses Efforts on Finding Optimal Approach to Diversify Nakdong River Water Sources

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that at 10:30 a.m. today, August 24, it discussed major water policy issues, including securing safe drinking water for Busan through the diversification of water intake sources, at a meeting attended by 20 people, including Professor Maeng Seung-gyu of Sejong University and members of the Busan Metropolitan City Water Management Committee, in a conference room on the 26th floor of City Hall.

The Busan Metropolitan City Water Management Committee is an advisory and deliberative body established under the Busan Metropolitan City Framework Ordinance on Water Management to review and provide advice on overall water management policies, including support for the diversification of drinking water sources and the promotion of water reuse.

The meeting addressed the city’s key water policy issues, including securing safe drinking water through the diversification of water intake sources, supplying clean tap water, and systematically managing rivers and groundwater.

In particular, Professor Maeng Seung-gyu gave a presentation titled “Policy on Diversifying Water Intake Sources to Ensure a Safe Drinking Water Supply for Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do,” emphasizing that securing clean water intake sources is Busan Metropolitan City’s most urgent task.

Professor Maeng proposed expanding the intake of subsurface river water as a proven and feasible option, while using riverbank filtration water and constructed wetlands as supplementary measures.

Subsurface river water refers to water flowing through layers of sand and gravel beneath or alongside the bed of a river, lake, or similar body of water, as classified under Article 3, Subparagraph 2 of the Rules on Drinking Water Source Management.

Riverbank filtration water refers to water that has passed through layers of sand and gravel in or near a river or lake, as classified under Article 3, Subparagraph 6 of the Rules on Drinking Water Source Management.

A constructed wetland is a facility designed to reduce nonpoint-source pollutants by artificially enhancing the natural purification functions of wetlands, including sedimentation, filtration, adsorption, microbial decomposition, and purification by vegetation, as provided in Appendix 13 of the Enforcement Rules of the Water Environment Conservation Act.

Professor Maeng explained, “The riverbank filtration projects pursued to date have faced opposition from nearby residents because collection pipes are installed at depths of 25 meters or more along riverbanks, raising concerns about declining groundwater levels. By contrast, the subsurface river water method uses indirect filtration, with filtration pipes installed within five meters below the riverbed, which eliminates concerns about lowering groundwater levels and offers the advantage of securing a stable volume of water.”

He also emphasized, “Rather than relying on a single method, we need to secure the optimal water quality and quantity through a hybrid approach that examines a range of water intake methods.”

A wide range of views were also presented by experts and representatives of civic groups during the open discussion that followed.

Shin Chun-hwan, Chair of the Busan Metropolitan City Water Management Committee and Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering at Dongseo University, said, “As diversifying water intake sources has long been a major goal for Busan, the Water Management Committee will spare no effort in supporting the process, including policy decision-making.” He added, “We will also closely monitor the water quality verification process for the demonstration facility to be installed in the lower reaches of the Nakdong River.”

Choi So-nam, Standing Representative of the Busan Malgeunmul Beomsimin Daechaekwi, and Choi In-hwa, Head of Research Planning at Saengmyeong Madang of the Busan-Gyeongnam Ecological City Research Institute, said, “If water quality safety can be assured, the subsurface river water intake method would also be acceptable, but efforts to develop existing riverbank filtration water sources should continue in parallel.” They added, “To earn the trust of citizens, objective and rigorous verification must be conducted through the demonstration facility in the lower reaches of the Nakdong River.”

Securing safe drinking water has been one of Busan Metropolitan City’s most important long-standing priorities for more than 30 years, since the 1991 phenol spill in the Nakdong River.

Recently, the Ministry of Climate has been pursuing a project to diversify water intake sources in the upper reaches of the Nakdong River, focusing on subsurface river water, and is conducting water quality verification at a demonstration facility installed at the Munsan Water Treatment Plant in Daegu. On August 4, Daegu announced that demonstration test results showed a clear improvement in raw water quality and confirmed that clean water comparable in quality to that of the Han River could be secured reliably.

If the verification process confirms the safety of the water quality, Busan Metropolitan City’s efforts to diversify its water intake sources are expected to gain further momentum through the installation and operation of a subsurface river water demonstration facility in the lower reaches of the Nakdong River. At a National Assembly briefing by the Ministry of Climate on August 11, the Minister of Climate stated, “If requested by Busan Metropolitan City, we will immediately install a subsurface river water demonstration facility in the lower reaches of the Nakdong River after completing the required procedures.”

Sim Jae-min, Assistant Mayor of Environment and Water Policy Office, said, “Securing safe drinking water is a top-priority task directly linked to the lives and health of citizens and a matter of survival. We will work closely with the central government, the National Assembly, Gyeongsangnam-do, and other relevant organizations, while bringing together the collective wisdom of the local community, and devote every effort to securing clean drinking water sources that citizens can trust.”