Evaluation and diagnosis for policy of water reuse in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Water reuse is an effective option worldwide to conserve water resources, reduce environmental impact, and reduce the costs and energy associated with water management. In the Republic of Korea, the “1st Basic Water Reuse Plan” was established covering from 2011 to 2020 and presented as policy to protect water resources, prepare for climate change, and restore eco-friendly water circulation. The sewage storage facility, which accounts for 89% of the target amount of rainwater, did not achieve the rainwater use performance compared to the original plan (43 million m³/year). In the case of gray water, the performance of the development project, which is subject to the mandatory installation, was inadequate at 48,000 ​m³/year compared to the planned target of 96 million m³/year. The reuse of treated sewage water exceeded the plan (129.6%) for over-the-counter water use, but 62% for river maintenance, 15% for industrial water, 12% for agricultural water, and 13% for other urban water. was insufficient. It was found that 37 million m³ of treated wastewater was reused annually, exceeding the plan by 187%. The total water reuse target, of treated sewage water is about 17% in 2020 due to the implementation of a sewage reuse project in a metropolitan unit that is used for river maintenance, agricultural water, and industrial water. However, about 50% of them are still used as internal water reuse such as washing water, cooling water, cleaning water, and dilution water in sewage treatment plants (STP), so it is not playing a sufficient role as a water resource to solve the local water shortage problem. To improve such a policy, it has been suggested that four improvements are necessary. First, it is necessary to change the perception on water reuse to hold the necessary costs in obtaining potable water. Second, the price of tap water in the Republic of Korea is cheap but if the water reuse policy is pursued, the public opinion is weak. Third, water treated from STP that meets the water quality standards is not being used properly and is being thrown away. The water treated from STP is currently being regenerated as “good water” without any problem even if it is used for many purposes through advanced treatment. However, the demand for reuse is limited due to aesthetic reason, so it cannot be used for various purposes. Finally, reuse management system of the water treated from STP has a problem with low efficiency of facility operation for supply and demand. The reuse management system should be built to increase the satisfaction of the people who reuse it, to provide stable clean sewage treatment water in response to crisis situations such as droughts caused by climate change, and ultimately to realize the public's water welfare. Through this, it will be possible to create a new market area and water business in the water industry to solve the water shortage, discover new businesses, create jobs, and secure new growth engines for the future. This paper introduces the history, status, and policy limitations and improvements of water reuse in the Republic of Korea over the past 10 years.