‘Gapcheon Water Pollution Prevention’ Daejeon City Completes Buffer Retention Facility in Daejeon Industrial Complex

Conceptual diagram of buffer storage facility installation. Provided by Daejeon City

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] A buffer retention facility to prevent water pollution in Gapcheon, Daejeon, will be established for the first time in the Daejeon Industrial Complex.

Daejeon City announced on the 14th that it has started construction of the buffer retention facility, aiming for completion in January 2024.

The buffer retention facility temporarily stores hazardous chemical substances discharged from the industrial complex due to fires, explosions, and other accidents.

In preparation for the release of hazardous substances in case of an accident, the buffer retention facility is installed in the middle of the stormwater pipe to temporarily store pollutants in the facility and then send them to the wastewater treatment plant for processing.

The Daejeon Industrial Complex, where the facility will be installed, was completed in 1979 and is considered the oldest industrial complex in the region.

In particular, large-scale accidents such as a fire at a cosmetics manufacturer in 2014 and a fire at a plastic manufacturing plant in 2020 have highlighted the need for buffer retention facilities in the Daejeon Industrial Complex. Currently, the specific water quality wastewater discharge in the Daejeon Industrial Complex reaches 5,258 tons per day, and the amount of hazardous substances handled is confirmed to be about 187,250 tons annually.

Accordingly, the city plans to prioritize the Daejeon Industrial Complex as the first site to establish a buffer retention facility in the region. A total budget of 30.3 billion KRW will be invested in the project, and after completion, the facility's pollutant storage capacity will be about 11,800 tons.

Once the buffer retention facility is installed in the Daejeon Industrial Complex, in the event of environmental damage caused by fires, explosions, or leaks within the industrial complex, hazardous substances discharged will be drawn into the buffer retention pond for treatment, contributing to the improvement of water quality in Gapcheon and the Geum River, the city expects.

Jeon Jae-hyun, Director of the Environmental Greenery Bureau of the city, said, “Once the buffer retention facility is completed, it will prevent water pollution in Gapcheon even if unexpected situations such as fires, explosions, or leaks occur in the Daejeon Industrial Complex. The city plans to start basic and detailed design this year to install buffer retention facilities in the Daedeok Industrial Complex following the Daejeon Industrial Complex.”

Meanwhile, according to the Water Environment Conservation Act, buffer retention facilities must be installed in industrial complexes or industrial areas with an area of 1.5 million square meters or more and a specific water quality wastewater discharge of 200 tons or more per day containing hazardous substances.

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