Jongmyungrae "Tap Water Larvae Exceed 'Public Expectation Water Quality Standards'... Heavy Responsibility"

Press Conference on the 22nd Explaining Green New Deal and Current Issues
"Green New Deal, Strategy for Economic Recovery and Low-Carbon Transition"
"Expected Reduction of 12.3 Million Tons of Greenhouse Gases by 2025"

Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae stated on the 22nd, "The larvae found in tap water from some water purification plants exceed the 'public eye-level water quality standards.'"

At a press briefing held at the Severance Building conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul, Minister Cho said, "As the minister in charge, I feel a heavy heart and a grave sense of responsibility regarding the public's discomfort and concerns over the recent tap water larvae issue."

He added, "Water should be managed not only to meet physicochemical safety standards but also to a level that ensures public reassurance. In this regard, the Ministry of Environment is responding strictly and swiftly to the current situation."

The day before, the Ministry of Environment announced that larvae were found in six other water purification plants besides the Gongchon Water Purification Plant in Incheon, which was identified as the source of larvae recently discovered in Incheon tap water.

As a result of an emergency inspection of 49 water purification plants nationwide equipped with activated carbon filters?the purification equipment installed at Gongchon Water Purification Plant?larvae were found in seven plants, including Gongchon.

The activated carbon filter is presumed to be the breeding site of the chironomid larvae found in Incheon tap water. Larvae hatched in the activated carbon filter were not filtered out and flowed through the purification plant and water storage tanks to households.

Besides Gongchon, larvae were found in activated carbon filters at the Bupyeong Water Purification Plant in Incheon, Hwaseong in Gyeonggi, Samgye in Gimhae, Beomeo in Yangsan, Hoeya in Ulsan, and Hwajeong Water Purification Plant in Uiryeong.

Minister Cho expressed willingness to consider revising drinking water quality standards by gathering expert opinions to prevent recurrence of tap water issues.

He also mentioned plans to establish an integrated water complaint center (tentative name) that shares water-related complaints received only through local waterworks in real time, aiming to resolve delays in recognizing tap water problems.

Regarding the Korean New Deal's Green New Deal, which the government is promoting, Minister Cho described it as "a fiscal strategy for economic recovery and simultaneously a new development strategy fundamentally transforming our economic and social structure."

He explained that in the short term, public investment for transitioning to a green economy aims to achieve economic recovery and job creation, while in the long term, the goal is to lead the transition to a carbon-neutral society by shifting the economic and social system to a low-carbon basis.

Minister Cho emphasized, "The Korean Green New Deal goes beyond a simple vision plan or pledge level and is implemented within the framework of a five-year medium-term fiscal plan. It is the world's first executable Green New Deal that includes detailed implementation plans in the national fiscal plan."

He also stated, "The Green New Deal is expected to reduce 12.3 million tons of greenhouse gases by 2025, and existing greenhouse gas reduction policies are also expected to accelerate."

Finally, Minister Cho said, "We will actively consider raising the target when setting the next national greenhouse gas reduction goal in 2025 by analyzing the greenhouse gas reduction effects through the Green New Deal."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.