Progress of Water Environment
Management and Future Challenges
in KOREA

MOE

1

Content2

Ⅰ. State of Water Quality in Korea

3

Water Quality in Korea
 The water quality of main river, 4 has improved through the comprehensive
water measures since 1996.
 Main water supply sources of 4 major rivers are well managed to 1~2 mg/L
BOD.
%(percent)Sewerage Rate
BOD(mg/L)

BOD

7.0
6.0

<avg. of 1,342 locations>
5.0

4.2
4.0
3.0

2.2

1.9

2.0

88.6%
83.5%

1.0

70.5%
0.0

38.8%

1992

2000

2005

2008

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Year

4

Water Quality in Korea
Improvement Rate of Aquatic Environmental Standard All streams nationwide are classified into 194 sections.
 Improvement rate of the standard focusing on BOD levels was 35.6 % in2006, which is an increase compared to the 27.6 % in 2000.

70

Han river

60
50
Han
Nakdong
Geum
Youngsan

40
30
20
10

Geum river
Nakdong river

Yeongsan river

0
00

01

02

03

04

05

06

5

5

Water Quality Korea
 However COD are increased because of increased chemical uses and refractory
pollutants influx from non-point source.
BOD, COD(mg/L)

7.0

BOD & COD of 4 rivers

Sources of COD
COD

6.0

BOD

5.0
4.0

4.6

4.0

(Year : 2007, ton/day)

4.0

4.2

7%

3.0

2.2

2.0
1.0
0.0

1.9

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

4.0

COD of Paldang Dam

24%

3.5

3.5

3.1

3.0

2.5
2.0

43%

15%

<avg. of 1,342 sites>

COD(mg/L)

11%

1.7

1.5
1.0

92 93

94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 Year

non-point
livestock waste waterotherssewageIndustrial waste water

66

Water Quality Korea
Online Water Quality Monitoring System(57 sites) 20 cases have been recorded since 2002. 7
Reason

The number of
Early warning
case

Total

20

the inflow of wastewater or waterpollutants

4Rain flows into non-point source
pollutants

6

Development of algae causedby rising temperature

7

Unidentified

3

7

Water Quality Korea
Algal Bloom Forecasting System
 Respond to water quality deterioration by algal bloom and algal toxin
in waterworks, Reservoir
 Reservoir : 4 (‘98) → 16 (‘06) → 17(‘07) → 20 (’08)
criteria

Attention

Chl-a(mg/㎥)
Microsystis(cell/mL)

Warning> 15

Break out

> 25

> 500

> 100

> 5,000> 1,000,000

attention400

breakout
300
200
100
0
98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08
8

II. Changes of Organization Arrangement
related to Water Quality Management

9

Water Management Structure
Ministry ofEnvironment

Water Quality & Aquatic eco system management,
Drinking water supply planning & financial
support(regional), stream restoration, wastewater
treatment planning & financial support, etc.

Ministry of Land andTransportation,
Maritime

Develop Water resources such as making dam,
Drinking water supply(multi-regional), national
stream management

Ministry of Knowledge
and Economy

Hydroelectric dam management

Operate the permit & declaration system for point
source, Stream restoration(support from central gov.),
Construction & operation of sewerage plant,
Construction & Operation of drinking water supply
system(local), etc.

Local stream management for flood

10Changes of MOE Organization
Water Quality Management Division
4 River Water
Management
plan(1998)

Water
Quality
Management
BureauWater
Supply &BureauReflect
Total water
policygoal
Water Quality pollution
Water Environment
Water Quality Policyof creation
load
PolicyPolicyofmanagement
ecologically
Watershed and Total
system (2004)
Watershed Policy
Watershed Policy
healthy water
Load Management
environment

Watershed and Total
Load Management

Total Water Pollution
Load Policy

Aquatic Ecosystem
Conservation

Aquatic Ecosystem
Conservation

Industrial Wastewater
Control

Industrial
Wastewater Control

Water Supply Policy

Water Supply Policy

Water Supply Policy

Water Supply Policy

Sewerage

Sewerage

Water Industry
Promotion

Soil & Groundwater
Management

Soil & Groundwater
Management

Soil & Groundwater
Management

Sewerage

Sewerage

Soil & Groundwater
Management

Water Industry
Promotion (team)

Industrial
Wastewater Control

Water Environment
Policy11

Changes of NIER Organization
Water Quality Research Department

Wastewater
Engineering

Water Quality

Water Environment
Control

Water Pollution Load

Water Pollution
Chemistry

Drinking Water

Drinking Water

Water Environment
Engineering

Watershed
Management

Soil andGroundwater

Soil andGroundwater

Water Quality Control

Water Microbiology

Water Pollution
Cap System

Water Pollution Cap
SystemWater Supply and
Sewerage Research

Drinking Water

Emission Sources
Research

4 River
Environmental
Research Center

4 River
Environmental
Research Center

Soil & Groundwater
Research
4 River
Environmental
Research Center

4 River Environmental
Research Center

Water quality Control Researchpredict long-, short-term water quality through modeling and monitoring for integrated
water quality control

12

Ⅲ. Water Quality Management Polices

13

Water Management Policies

1

Basin Management System(4 river basin)

2

Pollution Sources Management

3

4 Major Rivers Restoration Project4

Non-point Source Pollution Management

14Basin Management System
Advanced basin management system of 4 main river
Han river(30/289), Nakdong river(33/266),
Geum river(22/141), Yeongsan & Seomjin river(32/144)(watershed/sub watershed)

Basin

Watershed

Sub watershed15

Basin Management System(4 river
basin)
Riparian Buffer Zone System
 Restricting the construction of restaurants, accommodations, and factories by designating acertain section of a river as a buffer zone for the purpose of securing a healthy aquatic
ecosystem and clean water.
 Status of designated Riparian Buffer Zone, 1,200km2 as of end of 2009.
Drinking Water Source Protection Area
 Restricting the development near the drinking water source area
Specific Water Quality Protection Area
 Restricting the comprehensive development projects near the large-scale drinking water
source area (Paldang, Daecheong)
Drinking Water
Source Protection
area
Riparian
Buffer Zone
Water Taking
Point

16

Basin Management System
1

Total Water Pollution Load Management System
to compensate for the shortcoming of conventional concentration-based regulationand to encourage environment – friendly local development within the scope ofachieving and maintaining the desired water quality.
Advanced watershed control is designed to raise the efficiency of water quality
management based on scientific method, increased responsibility of each economic
entity, and the achievement of administrative goal (target water quality) within an
appropriate time.
Pollution sources are managed so as to keep total amount pollutant load “total
maximum daily allowable load” to attain target water quality.
 Primary target pollutant is BOD
 TMDL management implemented in 3 major rivers (Nakdong, Geum, Yeongsan)
since 2004, and will be implemented in Han river from June 2013 applied to BOD,
and T-P will be added from 2011.

17

Pollution Sources Management
Strengthen the control of hazardous substances Increasing the number of specified hazardous substances
No. of pollutants : 17(2005)
25(current)35(2015)※ 2010 : Acryl amid added
 Set emission standards for 7 pollutants (2010)
1,4-dioxane, DEHP, Vinyl chloride, Acrylonitrile, Bromoform, Ni, Ba

 To comprehensively manage the toxicity in wastewater Receptor-oriented water quality management system- Ecotoxicity refers to the degree of influence the acute toxicity of wastewater- Using Daphnia Magna is transformed into a toxicity unit(TU) to determine theecotoxicity degree . TU takes the survival of 50% of Daphnia- Applied to 2,258 wastewater & sewerage treatment from 201118

4 Major Rivers Restoration Project

Background Climate change- Average temperature has constantly risen to as high as 6.4 degree- Frequency and range of floods and droughts is increasing Need to ensure water resources and water quality in future
Urgent call
 Sustainable Water Management System Increasing Management Efficiency by integration of regional water supply
systems
 Decreasing leakage from water supply pipes by maintenance investment
 Improving quality of tap water through expanding high-level treatment
facilities

19

4 Major Rivers Restoration Project
Han River

I-po
Yeoju
KangchonGeum River Project Period : 2009~2012
 Project Budget : 19.3 Billion USD
 Contents of Project- Building 16 weirs- Construct 2 new dams
- Dredging 5.7 billion m3- Bike lanes 1,928km- Enlargement of Environmental
infrastructure (1,100)

Geumnam

SangjuGeumgang

NakdanBuyoe

Gumi

Nakdong River

ChilgokGangjeongSeomjin River

Dalsung
Hapchon

Haman
Seongchon
JuksanWEIR

Youngsan River
RIVER

20
20

Major Rivers Restoration Project1

Securing Water - 1.3 billion m3
Building weirs(16) anddredging

Ipo Weir (The Han River)Embanking Agricultural
Reservoirs (96)Constructing New Dams
(2)

Heightening the River Banks

Yeongju Dam

Reinforcing the River Banks

Connecting Andong and Imha Dams지역단위 Road Show 개최Dredging Riverbeds

570 million m3

800 million m3

250 million m3

250 million m3
21

Major Rivers Restoration Project2

Prevent Flood, Promote Regional Development
Control the Floods

Regional Development지역단위 Road ShowFlood개최 Level
Current Planned
Flood Level

Decrease Flood
Level by Dredging

Embankment

Dredging

National flood control capacity
100 Year Flood → 200 Year Flood

Embankment → Dredging

Eco-tourism
Waterfront Uses
• 500 stream and creeks that flow into the 4 rivers
will be ecologically restored• It will come to bring regional development througheco-tourism and waterfront uses

22

22

Major Rivers Restoration Project3

Improve Water Quality, Restore the Eco-system
Improving Water Quality

Movable Weirs & Natural Fish-way<BOD, ppm>
2.6

20%
2.1

2006

2012

BeforeAfter

Sewage treatment facility: 709
Livestock manure treatment facility: 21
Waste water treatment facility: 38
Non-point pollution treatment facility: 21
Stream restoration : 120

Prevent Accumulation (movable weir)
Address flood and drought (movable weir)
Protect fishery species (natural fish-way)23

Major Rivers Restoration Project3

Improve Water Quality, Restore the Eco-system
Restoring the Ecological Stream and Constructing Wetland

Ecological stream(national) restoration(929 ㎞, ￦3,000 billion)
Create 84 wetlands※ Han-river(17), Nakdong river(11), Geum river(8), Yeongsan·Seomjin river(48)Local & city stream restoration projects, streamlet revival projects, etc.

24Non-point Source Pollution Management
Mandatory installation of non-point pollution reduction facilities
 Development workplaces which should go through environmental impact assessment
 workplaces of industries whose site area is more than 10,000 ㎡

Designation and Management of ‘Non-Point Source Management Area’ The areas highly vulnerable to non-point pollution sources are designated as ‘nonpoint source control districts’- Soyang Lake, Doam Lake, Imha Lake, Gwangju metropolitan city

Reduction of muddy water from highland field
Promoting the facilities to mitigate landslide and sediment discharge from highland field
caused by torrential rains

Pilot projects of 43 non-point source reduction facilities
The installation of reduction facility model and execution of the monitoring of various
non- point sources for land-use type such as urban areas, roads, farmland, and parking
lots

25

Ⅳ. Changes in Laws, Standards

26

Change in Water Environmental Act
Water Quality Management1960s(6 Acts)

Environmental
Pollution
Prevention Act(Nov 5, 1963)

Sewerage Act(Aug 3, 1966)

Water Supply
andWaterworks
Installation Act(Dec 31, 1961)

1970s ~ 1980s(6 Acts)

Environmental
Conservation
Act(Dec 31, 1977)

1990s ~ 2009
(6 Acts)

Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation Act

Enacted
Revised‘90. 8‘09. 5

Act Relating to the Han River Water Quality
Improvement and Community Support‘99. 2‘08. 12

Act on Geum River Watershed Management
and Community Support‘02. 1‘08. 12

Act on Nakdong River Watershed Management
and Community Support
Act on Yeongsan & Sumjin River Watershed
Management and Community Support
Sewerage Act

Water Supply and Waterworks Installation Act
Management of Drinking Water Act‘02. 1‘08. 12‘02. 1‘08. 12‘66. 8‘09. 1‘61. 12‘07. 12‘95. 1‘08. 327

Change of Water Quality Standard
National Standard for Water Quality Management in orderto protect human health and achieve sound aquatic
environment
Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem Water quality chemical standards is limited to evaluate aquatic ecosystem
due to a lot of chemicals
 Consider the effect of pollution on aquatic ecosystem
 5 grades in the existing category are adjusted and increased into 7 grades
2007 to explain water quality state more detail• Standard for human health protection (17)• Standard for the living environment (5) / 7th grade• Water quality biological feature of aquatic ecosystem, 4th grade

28

Water Quality Standard(WQS)
 Rivers and Streams, Lakes (before 2007)
 Physico-chemical and organism-based environmental standard (5 grade)classificationLivingEnvironment

class

pH

BOD
COD*

SS

DO

Total
Coliform

TP *

TN *

I

6.5~8.5

≤ 1

≤ 25
≤ 1 *

7.5 ≥

≤ 50

≤ 0.010≤ 0.200

II

6.5~8.5

≤ 3

≤ 25
≤ 5 *

5 ≥

≤ 1,000≤ 0.030≤ 0.400

III

6.5~8.5≤ 6≤ 25≤ 15 *

5 ≥≤ 5,000≤ 0.050≤ 0.600

IV

6.5~8.5≤ 8≤ 100≤ 15 *

2 ≥-≤ 0.100

≤ 1.0

≤ 10

No floating
matter suchas garbage

2 ≥-≤ 0.150≤ 1.5

VProtectionof humanhealth (9)6.5~8.5

Cd ≤ 0.01, As ≤0.05 CN ND, Hg ND, Organic phosphorus ND,
Pb ≤0.1, Cr+6 0.05, PCB ND, ABS ≤0.5

* Lake29

Water Quality Standard
Standard for human health protection (17)
 8 hazardous substances which can pose a direct/indirect threat to the
public heath were added and Cd, Pb were reinforced to twice
Pollutants

Standard Value (mg/L)

Cadmium (Cd)≤0.005

Arsenic (As)≤0.05

Cyanide (CN)Not Detected (Limit of Detection 0.01)

Mercury (Hg)

ND (LOD 0.001)

Organic Phosphorus

ND (LOD 0.0005)

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)

ND (LOD 0.0005)

Lead (Pb)≤0.05

Hexachromium (Cr6+)≤0.05

Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate (ABS)≤0.5

Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4)≤0.004

1,2-Dichloroethylene≤0.03

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)≤0.04

Dichloromethane≤0.02

Benzene≤0.01

Chloroform≤0.08

Di-Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP)≤0.008Antimony (Sb)

≤0.02

30

Water Quality Standard
Standard for the living environment
 Animated character was enable to understand easily the environmental standard COD, TP were included to make up for water quality management after Jan. 2010
State
(Character)

Stream and riverpH

Coliforms (No/100mL)

BOD(mg/L)

COD(mg/L)

TP(mg/L)

SS(mg/L)

DO(mg/L)

Total coli.

Very Good
Good
Fairly Good
Fair
Fairly Poor

Ia
Ib
II
III
IV

6.5～8.5
6.5～8.5
6.5～8.5
6.5～8.5
6.0～8.5

≤1
≤2
≤3
≤5
≤8

≤2
≤4
≤5
≤7
≤9

≤0.02
≤0.04
≤0.1
≤0.2
≤0.3

≤25
≤25
≤25
≤25
≤100

≥7.5
≥5.0
≥5.0
≥5.0
≥2.0

≤50
≤500
≤1,000≤5,000-Fecal coli
.
≤10
≤100
≤200
≤1,000-Poor

V

6.0～8.5

≤10

≤11

≤0.5

1)

≥2.0

-

-

Very Poor

VI

-

>10

>11

>0.5

-

<2.0
Chlorophyll-a(mg/m3)

Lake

State

pH

COD
(mg/L)

SS(mg/L)

DO(mg/L)

TP(mg/L)TN(mg/L

Coliforms (No/100mL)
Fecal coli
Total coli.
.
≤50
≤10

Very Good

Ia

6.5～8.5

≤2

≤1

≥7.5

≤0.01

≤0.2

≤5

Good

Ib

6.5～8.5

≤3

≤5

≥5.0

≤0.02

≤0.3

≤9

≤500

≤100

Fairly GoodII

6.5～8.5

≤4

≤5

≥5.0

≤0.03

≤0.4

≤14

≤1,000

≤200

Fair

III

6.5～8.5

≤5

≤5

≥5.0

≤0.05

≤0.6

≤20

≤5,000≤1,000Fairly PoorIV

6.0～8.5

≤8

≤15

≥2.0

≤0.10

≤1.0

≤35

-

-

Poor

V

6.0～8.5

≤10

1)

≥2.0

≤0.15

≤1.5

≤70

-

-

Very Poor

VI

-

>10

-

<2.0

>0.15

>1.5

>70

-

-

1) No floating matter such as garbage

31Water Quality Standard
Water quality biological feature of aquatic ecosystem Biological indicator species including benthos and fish according to each grade
was establish to evaluate for water quality biological feature of aquatic ecosystem
Biological Indicator Species

Class

Very
Good
∼
Good

Fish

산천어
(Onchorhynchus
masou masou)버들치(Rhynchocypris oxycep
halus)

Benthos

금강모치
통옆새우
가재
(Rhynchocypris kumga (Gammarus sobaegensis(Cambaroides similis)
ngensis))열목어(Brachymystax lenok ts
inlingensis)뿔하루살이(Drunella aculea)

Habitats &Features• Crystal clear
water, andhigh flow
velocity• Rocks andpebbles atthe bottom.
• Very little
attached
algae

민하루살이
(Cincticostellalevanidovae)

32

Ⅴ. Goals of Water Quality Management
Policy in short/mid–term

33New Threat : Climate Change
Frequent Drought

Rising Temperature

Last 10 years, Heavy rainfall(over 100㎜) has
increased by 1.7 times

Severe Drought during`2008~2009

Last 100 years, temp. of
Korea rose by 1.5℃

Annual Property loss
: ￦2.7 trillion(‘02~’06)

Difficulty in supplying
drinking water

Intensified Flood지역단위 Road Show 개최

Climatic Damage: ￦17.7 trillion

Drinking water Shortage

Change of the Ecosystem

Water Quality Degradation

Property Loss

34

Goals of Water Quality Management
Object and Vision
To create clean water environment where our children can swim with fish
- ecologically healthy water environment and secure water quality against harmful
substancesCore indicators- Maintaining the nationwide quality of 85% of the water at high levels under therevised Water Quality Conservation Act- Restoration of 25% of non-natural stream(21,800) into natural stream- Creating 30% of the buffer zones purchased in the upper streams of water quality
sources as Riverine Ecobelt
The basic criteria for public health will be increased from 9 items to 30- The criteria for dealing with specific water quality hazard will be increased from 17
items to 35

35

Goals of Water Quality Management

Perform
Basic
Research

RestoreAqua-eco
SystemManageHazardous
Materials

Extend
Basic
Infra
36

Current Environmental Policy 2010

 Improve people’s satisfaction for environmental services
 Contribute to enhancement of Korea’s profile throughadvancement of environmental policies
 Achieve a low carbon society through green lifestyle
revolution

 Restore the vitality of
4 major rivers
 Advance waterworks
service Conserve and make wiseuse of natural resources Provide advanced
weather services
 Construct a society
where resources are
circulated

Earn reputation as andenvironmentally-advanced country
through a successful hosting of 2012
WCC in Jeju.
 Provide supports for improving
environmental capabilities ofdeveloping countries
 Management hazardous substances forthe public health Implement “carbon Diet 2030”
 Construct 5 Green Growth Model
Regions37

Summary38

Websites
Ministry of Environment : http://eng.me.go.kr/main.do Four Major River Restoration
Project of Republic of Korea
 Water Environment
Management Master Plan ECOREA

National Institute ofEnvironmental Research
http://www.nier.go.kr/eric/portal/eng

3940