Sejong, February 17 - The Ministry of Environment (ME, Minister Han Wha-jin) announced its annual work plans for water management for 2023 to build a society where people can enjoy reliable and safe supplies of water amid the climate crisis.

The Ministry of Environment plans to protect people's lives and properties from water crises such as floods, droughts, and water pollution and produce practical results based on the integrated water management plan completed in 2022. The Ministry also pursues ten core tasks to create new water values, such as implementing carbon neutrality using water resources and assisting the water industry in entering overseas markets.

The Water Management Policy Office will pursue the following policies in 2023.

The Ministry of Environment plans to secure a 'golden time' to protect people's lives and properties from extreme rainfall using AI and digital technologies. The Ministry will introduce AI for flood forecasting (previously performed by people mainly on large rivers) to provide detailed (75 locations → 223 locations) and fast (3 hours prior → 6 hours prior) flood forecasts to tributary streams nationwide. From this year's rainy season, the Ministry will apply AI-based flood forecasting to Dorimcheon Stream in Seoul for a trial basis and expand it nationwide. The Ministry also provides comprehensive and detailed flood information by developing and improving river and urban flood maps.

The Ministry will invest in flood defense infrastructure to respond to urban and river flooding caused by torrential rains. The Ministry will build deep underground rainwater tunnels in Gwanghwamun and Gangnam Station (construction will be started in August 2023) to prevent urban flooding from torrential rains exceeding the design capacity of sewage pipes. The Ministry will designate more priority sewerage management areas, including flood risk zones (November 2023), and improve sewage facilities to facilitate rainwater drainage by increasing the capacity of sewage pipes and installing pumping stations (investing 154.1 billion won in 2023). Also, the Ministry will build an underground flood control channel in Dorimcheon Stream in Seoul, which overflowed during the heavy rains in August last year (construction begins in November 2023). The Ministry will construct a dam dedicated to flood control in the upper reaches of Naengcheon, Pohang, where river flooding occurred due to Typhoon Hinnamnor in September last year (project feasibility starts in June 2023). The Ministry will create a riverside reservoir in Mokgamcheon, Gwangmyeong, to prevent human and property damage to densely populated areas (construction begins in December 2023).

In 2022, the amount of precipitation in the basins of five dams1 in Yeongsan River and Seomjin River was 67% compared to average years. The Ministry of Environment is committed to preventing the inconvenience of residents and industrial damage in Gwangju Metropolitan City and the Jeollanam-do area, which are currently experiencing extreme drought. The Ministry is implementing measures for supply management, such as discharging water from the Boseong River Dam, a dam for power generation, to the Juam Dam to supply water for living and industrial purposes. It also supplies river water instead of dam water. The Ministry also plans to promote measures for demand response, such as the 'Water Demand Adjustment System2 by voluntary water saving' and water-saving campaigns to prevent major drinking water source dams in Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeollanam-do, such as Juam Dam and Seomjingang Dam, from reaching low water levels before the end of June 2023. The Ministry will supply water to islands using desalination vessels developed with our technologies, installing underground water storage dams, and providing bottled tap water. In addition to implementing short-term drought measures, the Ministry will prepare mid- to long-term plans for Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeollanam-do by March 2023 to respond to extreme droughts in the future due to climate change. 

The Ministry will actively explore alternative water resources to cope with increasing future water demand. The Ministry will supply 800 million tons of reused sewage water (the size of Hapcheon Dam) in 2023 and establish a new reused water supply facility with an annual capacity of 170 million tons in the Gyeonggi region. The Ministry will ensure that the Daesan desalination plant, which will supply water to the Daesan Industrial Complex, the third-largest petrochemical complex in Korea, will be completed according to schedule. To increase the use of 120 million tons of wasted groundwater annually (the amount of water used in Seongnam), the Ministry will pursue pilot projects at Saetgang Station in Seoul and Bitdream Headquarters of Korea Southern Power to establish best practices for the use of groundwater discharge. The Ministry will analyze the water supply and flood control capacity of power generation dams, such as the Hwacheon Dam and Paldang Dam, to prepare operation plans in conjunction with multi-purpose dams.

The Ministry of Environment promotes comprehensive measures for scientific and proactive management of algal blooms.

The ME will improve the algae system by expanding warning points (29 → 37) and strengthening algae toxin monitoring. It will also provide more accurate information by using AI to predict algal blooms. 

In the event of algae blooms, eco-robots and surface aerators will quickly remove the algae, and barriers will be installed to prevent algae from invading water intake and purification plants to supply safe tap water. 

The Ministry will protect river water quality from water pollution accidents and a tiny amount of contaminants. The Ministry plans to minimize damage caused by water pollution accidents by upgrading the response system from prompt response after accidents to specific stages, such as prevention-response-collaboration. It will prevent large-scale water pollution accidents by building more buffer storage facilities3 to block the initial runoff of water pollution accidents (24 locations in 2022 → 32 locations in 2023). The ME will also establish an integrated control center to monitor water pollution accidents in real time, foster professionals, and develop related equipment. The Ministry will establish a cooperative system by conducting joint response drills with relevant agencies (Ministry of Environment, local governments, and the National Fire Agency, etc.) twice a year to prepare for large-scale water quality accidents.

The Ministry of Environment plans to expand water quality monitoring centers to all water systems of the four major rivers (previously operated only in the Nakdong River water system) to manage unregulated water pollutants more thoroughly. The Ministry will fully operate the Nakdong River water quality measurement center (Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do) completed in December last year and establish another water quality measurement center in the Han River starting in 2023.

The Ministry of Environment will establish an ICT-based smart management system for the entire water supply process, from water intake sources to water purification plants, drainage pipes, and consumers. It will also enhance the safety management at purification plants to ensure tap water safety. The Ministry will introduce AI purification plants to all regional waterworks purification plants (43) and complete smart pipe network management infrastructure in all regional (48 water supply facilities) and local waterworks (161 local governments) systems. 

The Ministry will install facilities to prevent the outflow of larvae (precision filtration devices, etc.) at the outlets of purification plants to fundamentally prevent larvae from being found in tap water at home (153 purification plants in 2023, 22.7 billion won) and enhance the surveillance system by designating larvae as a factor to monitor in purification plants. To strengthen the management of algae toxins, the Ministry will expand items subject to monitoring at purification plants from microcystin-LR to total microcystin concentration and increase the analysis items from four to six types.

The Ministry will improve old waterworks, the primary cause of water accidents, and strengthen hygiene management of water supply facilities at the far end of the waterworks. Projects to upgrade old waterworks will focus on maintaining aging water pipe networks (89, about 357㎞) and purification plants (33 places) in local water supply systems. Also, it will be mandatory for owners or managers of large buildings with a total area of over 5,000㎡ to report the installation of water tanks. Water tanks subject to management shall be listed in the building register to supervise and manage the hygiene of water tanks.

The Ministry of Environment plans to promote the project to diversify Nakdong River water intake sources based on regional agreements and coexistence to address the Nakdong River water problem, which has been going on for 30 years. The Ministry will conduct scientific investigations and analyses in the lower reaches of the river (Busan-Gyeongsangnam-do) to present solutions to the concerns of residents. It will also prepare an optimal water intake plan (water intake point, quantity, construction method, etc.) by the end of 2023 through feasibility studies and establishing a master plan. For the upper reaches of the (Daegu-Gyeongsangbuk-do), the Ministry will review the 'Clear Water Highway' project, promoted by Daegu Metropolitan City since December last year, and promote the project after reaching an agreement with Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the central government. 

The Ministry will start integrating water utilities to build a stable water supply system even in climate crises, such as droughts, and mitigate the gap in water service between regions. Supplying water is a task inherent to local governments. Each municipality operates its water supply service with different water rates. However, there are gaps in services, such as water rates by region, due to differences in conditions, such as regional size, finance, and expertise of human resources. Therefore, the Ministry will prepare applicable provisions in the 'Water Supply and Waterworks Installation Act' so that local governments can integrate waterworks and provide 'Waterworks Integration Guidelines for local governments to diagnose the need for waterworks integration and determine the optimal integration method. Pilot projects for integrating water utilities will also be initiated based on the MOU signed by the Ministry of Environment, Chungcheongnam-do, and seven cities and counties in the western Chungcheongnam-do region in November last year to develop best practices for integrating water utilities.

The Ministry continues to supply clean water to vulnerable areas, such as islands and mountainous areas. The Ministry prioritizes the installation of groundwater storage dams in regions with frequent drinking water shortages, such as Yokjido, Tongyeong, and Deokjeokdo, Ongjin. It will develop a roadmap to expand groundwater storage dams nationwide. The Ministry will also complete a project to install a distributed water supply system4 (six facilities) that stably supplies tap water to areas vulnerable to water use (Inje-gun, Yeongdong-gun, Gimcheon-si), such as exceeding water quality standards.

The Ministry also promotes projects to support vulnerable groups, such as managing groundwater wells and improving facilities. The Ministry plans to conduct water quality inspection and consulting for underground water wells used in multi-use facilities (100), such as nursing homes and kindergartens, and support facility improvement (50) by supplying water purification facilities. 

It will conduct drinking water quality tests (2,000) on individual wells and provide cleaning, disinfection, and facility improvement for wells that exceed water quality standards. The Ministry will also inspect public groundwater wells in 16 cities and counties (pumping test, water quality analysis) and secure safe drinking water through facility improvement. It will select candidate sites for medium-to-large capacity groundwater wells (more than 50m3 per day) and establish plans to develop them by the end of this year.

The Ministry of Environment plans to integrate the management of water quantity and quality by operating river facilities such as dams, weirs, and estuary banks based on science and data. From August 3 to 5 of last year, the 5th typhoon Songda (July 31 to August 1) and local showers caused the water level of Namgang Dam to exceed the limit for flood season. Accordingly, the Ministry increased the outflow from 28 tons/second to 100-300 tons/second. At the same time, the water level of the Changnyeong Haman Reservoir was lowered to the extent that it did not interfere with farming in order to respond to the risk of flooding and algal blooms.

The Ministry plans to develop a plan to integrate the operation of river facilities that used to be operated individually, such as dams, weirs, and estuary banks, by the end of March this year by referring to last year's case. Through this process, the Ministry will proactively respond to water crises by integrating and operating river facilities scientifically and organically from April, when the risks of drought, algal blooms, and floods begin. Also, an AI-based digital twin system for predicting droughts, algal blooms, and floods will be established by 2026 to derive optimized, integrated operation scenarios for river facilities according to weather, water quantity, and quality.

Based on the 'Act on Promotion of the Production and Use of Biogas Using Organic Waste Resources' enacted in December 2022, the Ministry of Environment is pursuing the project of integrated bio-gasification of organic waste resources5. Sub-statutes of the 'Act on Promotion of the Production and Use of Biogas Using Organic Waste Resources,' including specific details such as production target rates and range of mandatory producers in the private sector, will be prepared to implement the system for managing biogas production targets (public sector in 2025, private sector in 2026). While promoting the four pilot projects for installing integrated bio-gasification facilities selected last year, the Ministry will expand facilities by adding four more pilot projects this year.

The Ministry will install clean hydrogen production facilities using biogas (one local government, one private sector) to diversify the source of demand for produced biogas. The Ministry will also develop technologies to utilize unused organic waste resources (such as animal and plant residues) to produce biogas.

The Ministry will introduce eco-friendly hydrothermal energy and expand floating solar power projects in dams. The Ministry plans to create a hydrothermal energy convergence cluster (construction starts in Chuncheon in October 2023) that produces hydrothermal energy from the deep water of Soyanggang Dam and uses it for integrated data center complexes and smart high-tech agricultural complexes. It will also test-apply hydrothermal energy to nine private and local government buildings (construction begins in May 2023) to invigorate the hydrothermal energy business and promote R&D to integrate hydrothermal energy and ICT. The Ministry also floating solar power projects involving resident participation, such as starting floating solar power generation in the Soyanggang Dam (8.8MW) in December 2023 and starting construction for the Imha Dam floating solar power project (45MW) in June.

The Ministry of Environment plans to create river spaces that are safe from floods and mixed with water-friendly culture for the people. For the 22 rivers in the 'integrated river project tailored to each region' selected last year, the ME will prepare basic plans for each river by the end of 2023. In the case of Kumho River, which is being promoted as a pilot project, the Ministry begins the design and other procedures to initiate the project (March 2023). The Ministry will also secure flood safety by upgrading local rivers with high safety importance to national rivers by considering the scale of past flood damage and project priorities. 

Also, the Ministry will create eco-friendly lakes among major reservoirs managed by the Ministry of Environment. The Ministry plans to transform reservoirs around urban areas, which have more value in local ecology, scenery, and culture than providing agricultural water, into ecological spaces for local people. Unlike improving the water quality of the rivers surrounding previous priority management reservoirs, the Ministry plans to come up with package measures that cover the water quality, aquatic ecology, and the waterfront of surrounding rivers and lakes for these eco-friendly lakes.

The Ministry fully supports the ultrapure water industry, the pinnacle of water technology. The Ministry plans to localize technologies related to major materials, parts, and devices and the design, construction, and operation technologies for plants to produce ultrapure water by 2025 through ongoing national R&D projects. The Ministry will create an ultrapure water platform center by 2030, an outpost for R&D, and nurture 390 professionals specialized in digital water management and overseas expansion for companies through expert training courses.

The Ministry further strengthens our world-class seawater desalination technologies. After testing the operational safety through the current pilot project on a desalination vessel, the Ministry will secure the world's first seawater desalination vessel technology (December 2023). It will also invest in the R&D of low-carbon, eco-friendly desalination plant technologies to respond to the global development trend of operation technologies for seawater desalination.

The Ministry will expand water industry exports to meet the demand of overseas water markets. This year, the Ministry seeks to win project orders worth 1.8 trillion won from Neom City in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia (preparing to move its capital), and Middle Eastern countries that traditionally experience water stress and scarcity. The Ministry provides full support by pursuing sales diplomacy and forming a 'Green Industry Export Alliance' with exporters.

Shin Jin-soo, Deputy Minister for Water Management Policy of the Ministry of Environment, said, "We will change our water management paradigm with the idea of reorganizing a 100-year plan for water management to cope with climate change. He added, "We will do our utmost to protect the lives and safety of our people from water crises by managing water based on science and data. The Ministry of Environment will ensure that everyone has a stable water supply and enjoys the value of water."

1  ① Juam Dam, ② Sueo Dam, ③ Seomjingang Dam, and ④ Pyeongnim Dam managed by the Korea Water Resources Corporation, and ⑤ Dongbok Dam managed by Gwangju Metropolitan City

2 A system to induce water conservation by reducing water rates of local governments if they achieve targets for reducing water use

3 Facilities to store the highest concentration of initial runoff in the event of a water quality accident in an industrial complex

4 Stable water supply by introducing customized water purification facilities around water consumers and remote management using information and communication technologies

5 Production of energy sources by inputting two or more types of organic waste resources, such as food waste, sewage residue, and livestock manure

Contact: Lee Hyun Joon, Senior Deputy Director

Water Environment Policy Division / +82-(0)44-201-7141

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr