Introduction of 'Activated Carbon Filter' for Treating Contaminated Water in Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek Rivers

Pyeongtaek City to Discharge into Jinwicheon after Processing 2,000 Tons Daily Starting from the 4th

On the 9th of last month, an 'activated carbon filter' was deployed to treat contaminated water that flowed into the nearby Gwanri Stream during the firefighting process at a hazardous chemical storage warehouse located in Yanggam-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Pyeongtaek City announced on the 6th that since the 4th, they have been using the activated carbon filter to remove pollutants from the contaminated water in Gwanri Stream before discharging it into Jinwi Stream.

Activated carbon filter used for treating contaminated water from Hwaseong Pyeongtaek Management Stream. Pyeongtaek City filters 2,000 tons of contaminated water daily through this filter before discharging it into the Jinwi Stream.
[Photo by Pyeongtaek City]

The activated carbon filter was introduced because despite continuous treatment, the water in Gwanri Stream still exhibited a bluish tint. According to the Ministry of Environment's announcement on the 5th, the concentration of harmful substances and ecological toxicity in Gwanri Stream, where the contaminated water had flowed in, met the discharge standards. However, the color index of Gwanri Stream remained between 8 and 56, which is higher than Jinwi Stream's 5 to 10, and the flow rate of Gwanri Stream has not decreased due to rainfall and groundwater inflow.

The city confirmed the high effectiveness of the activated carbon filter through on-site tests and water quality analyses conducted by the Ministry of Environment and related agencies, and jointly requested administrative enforcement from Hwaseong City and the Korea Environment Corporation to install it on site.

After trial operations, the activated carbon filter began full operation on the 4th, treating 2,000 tons of contaminated water daily on site before discharging it into Jinwi Stream. Pyeongtaek City expects that the improved efficiency in treating polluted river water will help restore the normal function of the stream.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment recommended on the 5th that since the blockage of contaminated water inflow into Jinwi Stream has prolonged the disconnection of the stream and increased the risk of damage, the stream’s function should be restored promptly if there are no concerns about water quality.

Additionally, the city is currently conducting groundwater monitoring at 34 nearby locations and has collected soil samples from the contaminated section of Gwanri Stream, which have been sent to the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment for analysis.

Jangseon Jeong, Mayor of Pyeongtaek City, expressed hope that "the introduction of the activated carbon filter will accelerate the normalization of Gwanri Stream," and stated, "We will do our utmost until the remaining accident recovery work and damage restoration are completed."

Previously, on the 9th of last month, a fire broke out at a hazardous chemical storage warehouse in Yanggam-myeon, Hwaseong-si. During the firefighting efforts, some hazardous substances stored in the warehouse and firefighting water flowed into Gwanri Stream, contaminating 7.7 km of the stream.

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