A poster to publicize a drinking water exhibition, to be held from Sept. 3 through Nov. 3 at the Waterworks Museum in Seoul.

“Arisu, Flowing with Seoul” is the title of an exhibition scheduled to be held at the Waterworks Museum in Seoul from Sept. 3 to Nov. 3.

It is intended to show how drinking water is processed, including the quality of pipes used to supply the potable water to the entire city of Seoul. The event is considered to have something for everyone, including for families, to come out and enjoy learning everything about tap water, without which they cannot live.

Officials of the city said the tap water system has parallels with the nation’s history; In the 1950s, the system needed repairs since it was destroyed during the Korean War of 1950-53.

That was followed by projects to boost the supply of tap water to cope with a huge increase in the population in the capital city by building new water reservoirs and infrastructures.

In 1989, Seoul City set up the Potable Water Business Headquarters to take charge of the tap water system for the metropolitan city, including tests of the quality of water at the 6 Arisu Clean Water Centers. It supplies 3.2 million tons of tap water daily to everywhere in the city after testing them it with elaborate facilities, including ozone and charcoal.

The event celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Potable Water Business Headquarters and the history of the tap water system, including the trace of Arisu, the safety of Arisu, memorable Arisu water, Arisu, the tap water and Arisu the tap water for Seoul, and the corner for physical experience of Arisu, all in five stages.

Seoul uses the surface water of the Han River as a water source. The government and cities and provinces along Hangang (River) are jointly implementing a project to improve the water quality in order to protect the water source for Seoul.

In particular, the Seoul Metropolitan Government operates the Hangang Environmental Surveillance Team to restrict the discharge of pollutants into or development projects along Hangang.

In addition, the Ministry of Environment (HangangBasin Environmental Management Office) started raising funds for the management of the Hangang Basin in 1999 with the water usage charge as key funding source.

Such funds are used in the management of water sources as well as water quality improvement in the upper Han River area and for resident support project.

An inside view of Seoul City’s Drinking Water Exhibition being held at the Waterworks Museum in Seoul Sept. 3-Nov. 3 showing how tap water is tested with elaborate facilities using ozone and charcoal to supply 3.2 million tons of water safe to drink every day. (Photos: SMG)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government performs water source protection and surveillance activities 24 hours a day. It conducts regular water quality inspections in relation to 147 indicators at 5 water intake points and 29 indicators at 28 points in water sources.

In particular, using automatic water quality monitoring units, water quality in water sources is monitored round the clock in terms of eight indicators including algae (chlorophyll-a) and phenol.

At the intake plants, a bio-monitoring system is operated using microorganisms, algae and water flea.

At the same time, an oil blocking serves as barrier around the intake plants. In other words, utmost effort is made in protecting water quality.

The government has an automatic chemical injection system for optimal water purification facility operation.

In order to deliver premium tap water with upgraded quality, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has applied an advanced water purification system with ozone and granular active carbon (charcoal) process to the standard water purification method at the Yeungdeungpo Purification Center in 2010.

It will expand the system to six purification centers by 2015.

Considerably improved from the existing purification technology, the advanced water purification system eliminates materials that generate the unpleasant taste and smell of tap water as a result of water quality deterioration during dry season as well as traces of organic matter including residual antibiotics.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has achieved the same revenue water ratio as that of advanced countries by improving water supply pipes and blocking the water supply piping network as well as through systematic leak prevention and scientific supply volume management, and management of quantity of use without leakage.