Incheon mayor apologizes for reddish tap water crisis

The Korea Times

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Incheon mayor apologizes for reddish tap water crisis

Posted : 2019-06-17 16:40

Updated : 2019-06-17 18:58

Incheon Mayor Park Nam-choon apologizes for the contaminated tap water crisis that has affected thousands of households in the western Incheon region, during a press conference at Incheon City Hall, Monday. Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin

Incheon Mayor Park Nam-choon has apologized to Incheon residents for failing to properly deal with the contaminated "reddish" tap water crisis that has affected thousands of households and forced suspension of lunch programs at dozens of schools in the region.

He pledged full-fledged purification measures, which have come nearly three weeks after the situation started.

"I apologize for not having an emergency manual to deal with the issue as well as failing to seek expert opinions at the early stage of the crisis," Park said during a press conference at the Incheon City Hall, Monday.

"We relied on the experience that such contamination usually disappears in a week, so we failed to actively provide necessary information to citizens in the early stages."

Experts and the local government believe the cause of the reddish tap water is likely corrosion in water pipes, suspecting changes in water pressure during an equipment check-up on May 30 washed contaminants off the inner surfaces of the pipes.

"We are sure contaminants found in the tap water are from the pipes. Just discharging the water will not be sufficient to resolve the problem, so there is a need for more fundamental and comprehensive recovery measures," Park said.

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The city is planning a massive cleaning of purification plants, water reservoirs and major pipes, while monitoring the water quality continuously.

"Experts say the measures will lead to visible improvement in water quality within this year, and to the previous quality level at the end of this month," Park said.

The central government-led investigation results will also be announced as early as Tuesday.

Park's apology and countermeasures, however, were insufficient to soothe angry Incheon residents who say the responses came too late.

Since the water contamination was first reported on May 30, more than 8,500 households have been affected in the western part of the city. But the situation has even expanded to the Yeongjong and Ganghwa areas. There have been over 100 reports of people with skin problems and over 10,000 civil complaints.

As of June 14, 149 schools in the region have been affected by the contaminated tap water. Among them, 99 schools are making school lunches using bottled water, while 39 are handing out bread and milk as replacements. Eleven others are relying on catering services.

On Sunday, 2,000 Incheon residents and civic organizations rallied in the streets, calling on the mayor to apologize and resolve the issue swiftly.

"Since May 30, there has been contaminated tap water flowing in western Incheon with no countermeasures and it has been spreading," said a member of the residents' emergency committee. "But there has been no support or countermeasures from the Incheon Metropolitan Government."

Soon after the incident, Incheon city concluded that contaminants found in the tap water "did not surpass hazardous levels," a conclusion which angered residents even more as they were not able to cook with the reddish water, or even wash their bodies, dishes or clothes. Many have also complained of rashes and stomachaches from the tap water.

"The water supply operation headquarters have not grasped the situation and said the water is drinkable, only increasing damage and confusing the residents," the residents' emergency committee member said.

hyunbin@koreatimes.co.kr