Seoul City Launches 'Public-Private Joint Investigation Team' to Examine Tap Water Larvae Conditions

No Link Found Between Larvae Complaints and Water Pipes Among 12 Cases
12 Experts Conduct Simultaneous Inspection of 5 Water Purification Centers

On the 21st, as public anxiety grows over larvae in tap water, officials are collecting samples at the activated carbon adsorption chamber of the Ttukdo Arisu Water Purification Center in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As complaints about larvae being found in Seoul tap water continue, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to conduct a thorough investigation through a 'Public-Private Joint Investigation Team' composed of experts and public officials.

The Seoul Waterworks Headquarters announced on the 22nd that it has formed an investigation team consisting of a total of 12 experts: 6 private experts in biology and waterworks, 4 researchers specializing in microbiology and waterworks processes from the Seoul Water Institute, and 2 public officials in the water quality field. The team will conduct a detailed investigation into the entire water purification process, including whether larvae inhabit the granular activated carbon beds at the purification centers operated by the city.

The investigation team will examine five of the six purification centers operated by the city: Gwangam, Amsa, Gangbuk, Guui, and Yeongdeungpo Purification Centers. The Ttukdo Purification Center, which was inspected on the 20th, is excluded from the inspection targets.

The team will check and inspect the Seoul-operated purification centers for ▲the presence of larvae in the activated carbon layers ▲the adequacy of backwash speeds in filtration beds and the appropriateness of water purification process operations ▲maintenance of ISO22000 standards ▲and the overall environmental conditions inside and outside the water treatment facilities.

Meanwhile, as of 6 p.m. on the 21st, there have been a total of 12 complaints reported to the Seoul Waterworks Headquarters where larvae were either physically present or clearly confirmed through photos or videos at nearby facilities. As of the afternoon of the 22nd, none of these cases have confirmed a direct connection between the water pipes and the larvae.

A Waterworks Headquarters official stated, "In cases where larvae are found in complaint reports, the larvae are collected and sent to the National Institute of Biological Resources under the Ministry of Environment for species analysis," adding, "Once the species analysis results are available, we will verify and disclose whether the collected larvae are species that can occur within the water supply system."

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