Kwon Young-jin “Daegu drinking water problem, please the government to solve”

In the 30th year of the Nakdong River Pungol Spill Accident, Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin urged the government to actively resolve the issue of the Daegu drinking water source, not as a conflict between regions.

Mayor Kwon said, “Since the phenol spill accident 30 years ago, we have been concentrating all the administrative capabilities of the city on the supply of safe tap water and improvement of the water quality in the rivers around the Nakdong River,” through a’appeal to the government and citizens of the city’ at Daegu City Hall on the 16th. Despite these achievements, water quality accidents such as the perfluorinated compounds crisis in 2018 are recurring, with the securing of safe water intake sources still not being resolved,” he pointed out.

Mayor Kwon emphasized that “the water problem must be solved,” he said. “Because it is a problem directly related to the people’s right to life, it is an issue that the central government should take responsibility for and solve first.”

“As a result of the consultation on the integrated water management plan initiated by the Prime Minister’s Office and the result of the service in 2020, the expectations of Daegu citizens were high, but there is still no progress.” He asked for the government to come to the fore.”

He also urged, “If the problem of drinking water in Daegu city cannot be solved by the policy of diversifying water intake sources, we ask for special measures such as a zero-discharge system to be prepared as soon as possible so that wastewater from the Gumi Industrial Complex does not pollute drinking water sources.”

Even in Gumi City, “Please make a decision to jointly use the water intake source,”

Gumi City and its citizens also said, “The problem of drinking water that has been going on for the past 30 years is not only because of the faults and responsibilities of anyone, but because the mutual will of both regions and the lack of empathy for solving the problem.” “He appealed.

Mayor Kwon once again asked for understanding of what Daegu City proposed to Gumi City. Daegu City has stated that mutual understanding and consideration, scientific verification, and reasonable compensation are the three main principles for solving the water problem.

As a result of the verification by the researchers so far, even if 300,000 tons of 570,000 tons per day, which is required for Daegu, are used together at the Gumi Haepyeong water intake plant, the water quality of the Nakdong River does not deteriorate at all. Is not.

Mayor Kwon said, “In consideration of the concerns of the citizens of Gumi, when there is insufficient water to be used by Gumi due to extreme drought, we have proposed a variable operation plan that controls the amount of water intake according to changes in the Nakdong River water quantity, such as not taking a drop of water.”

In addition, when Daegu City uses the Haepyeong water intake plant, it creates a win-win fund worth 10 billion won per year to support residents of water supply protection zones such as Haepyeong, promotes national projects to revitalize the Gumi economy, and proposes cooperative measures to form a living community between Daegu and Gumi. There was also a bar.

Mayor Kwon also emphasized that he will try not to suffer the same for descendants and residents of the lower Nakdong River in Daegu.

By establishing an advanced system to treat factory wastewater discharged from Daegu such as the Seongseo Industrial Complex, residents in the downstream Nakdong River do not suffer from water quality problems, and continue to promote the classification of rainwater and sewage water in residential areas and the maintenance of old sewage pipes to contaminate urban areas. He promised to block discharge into this river as well.

Mayor Kwon said, “Please gather the wisdom and heart of both the government and the citizens of Daegu and Gyeongbuk so that the water problem in Daegu this year, which is 30 years old, can be solved.” I will take the lead in enjoying the water environment.”

On the afternoon of March 14, 1991, an accident occurred in which 30 tons of phenol stock solution leaked from D Electronics in the former U.S. industrial complex flowed into the Daegu water intake through the Nakdong River.

The citizens of Daegu who use the Nakdong River as a water intake source due to the phenol spill suffered great pain, such as diarrhea, pain and burns in the mouth, and all areas of Yeongnam, including Busan and Masan, were terrorized.

At the time, this accident was so shocking that it was selected as the No. 1 among the top 10 environmental incidents in Korea since the 1950s, and it was recorded as the worst environmental pollution incident ever that made the whole country tremble with fear of drinking water beyond the Yeongnam region.