Over the last few decades, government officials have been devising ways to improve water quality in South Korea. Up until the 1970s, the water quality in South Korea was subpar due to the lack of a managed sewerage system and overall poor water management services.

Past reports made by the Korean Journal of Parasitology found that more than 84 percent of fecal samples were contaminated with helminth, which is a dangerous parasitic worm that can lead to severe health infections and diseases. This contamination resulted in part from poor water quality in South Korea.

However, in 1965, things began to take a turn for the better after the Korean government decided to implement a plan known as the 20-Year National Water Resource Plan. The idea behind this plan was that adequate and managed water services were implicitly necessary for the health and wellbeing of individuals living in the country.

According to the Korean Water and Wastewater Association, the country has received ample assistance from the World Bank. Other international organizations have also helped in developing and implementing this system for providing clean water in South Korea to benefit its residents and visitors.

One tactic that South Korea has used in its water management plan is harvesting rainwater during its monsoon seasons. According to an article by Water and Wastewater International, the rainwater “is collected from the rooftops via gutters, which divert flows to a sedimentation tank, then connects via piping to the rainwater tanks, installed below ground.” Residents and businesses have installed these systems.

Furthermore, rainwater has been described as the best source of drinking water in South Korea. Rainwater has also helped to save energy for the country’s water supply. The government is seeking to eventually implement this system throughout thousands of islands around the country.

– Lael Pierce

Photo: Flickr