It's Okay to Drink Tap Water, but Residents Here Say No

The Ministry of Environment has advised residents in the area to refrain from drinking tap water following the discovery of 'chironomid larvae' at the Icheon Water Purification Plant in Gyeonggi-do.

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On the 22nd, the Ministry of Environment announced that during an inspection of the hygiene status of 435 water purification plants nationwide since the 1st of this month, prompted by forecasts that this summer would be hotter than usual, five chironomid larvae were found. Chironomids, belonging to the order Diptera, are very small, about 11 mm in length. Their larvae resemble small maggots and live in water such as mud or ponds or decaying plant matter, feeding on organic material. They can reproduce in large numbers at once and inhabit fourth-class water with a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of 6 ppm or higher. As adults, they resemble mosquitoes and contact with them can cause asthma, atopy, allergies, and other health issues.

The Ministry of Environment is currently conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine the cause of the larvae outbreak, while implementing follow-up measures such as strengthening chlorine injection, supplementing insect control facilities at each process stage, and cleaning both inside and outside. Since 11 p.m. on the 20th, the Ministry has recommended refraining from drinking tap water through the Icheon City website and other channels.

The areas where drinking tap water is advised against include: ▲ Bubal-eup (Gobaek-ri, Daegwan-ri, Maam-ri, Muchon-ri, Sanchon-ri, Sinwon-ri, Sinha 1-5 ri, Ami 1-4 ri, Jukdang-ri, part of Gajwa-ri) ▲ Baeksa-myeon, Sindun-myeon ▲ Majang-myeon (Jangam-ri, Ichi 1-ri) ▲ Changjeon-dong, Gwango-dong, Saeum-dong ▲ Jungri-dong, Yulhyeon-dong, Jinri-dong, Jeungil-dong, part of Godam-dong (excluding Daepo-dong, Jangnok-dong, Danwol-dong) ▲ Jeungpo-dong, Galsan-dong, Anhung-dong, Songjeong-dong, etc.

Although tap water is being supplied without interruption in these areas, bottled water (water sold in containers) will be provided for drinking purposes. The Ministry of Environment stated, "We will thoroughly carry out the nationwide hygiene management inspection of water purification plants, which is ongoing until the 10th of next month, to ensure that the public can drink safe and clean tap water." Icheon City also urged, "The tap water currently supplied can be used for laundry, cleaning, and other household purposes. Boiling the water makes it safe for drinking, but please refrain from drinking it directly."

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