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Residents in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, are experiencing discomfort due to persistent foul odors coming from their tap water.
According to Gwangyang City on Thursday (June 25), complaints regarding the tap water have been flooding in since the beginning of this month through the mobile administrative platform "MY Gwangyang" app and the e-People (Gungmin Sinmungo) portal.
Citizens are also voicing their frustrations on online communities, such as parenting forums, with comments like, "It tastes like dirt when I brush my teeth," "It smells like mold," "I don't even want to wash because of the smell," and "It’s been like this every year from this time throughout the summer."
Gwangyang City stated that many complaints have been received regarding earthy or fishy smells, which are attributed to a surge in algae at the Sueo Dam, the city's water source, due to the heat.
While the Korea Water Resources Corporation is adjusting the water intake levels at the intake tower and the water treatment plant is injecting powdered activated carbon, the odor has not yet dissipated.
Gwangyang City emphasized that weekly water quality tests have confirmed the water is harmless to the human body. However, residents' dissatisfaction has grown due to the recurring odors, even before the onset of the peak summer heat.
A Gwangyang City official said, "We will increase the amount of powdered activated carbon injected and prepare supplementary measures following a technical diagnosis by environmental agencies," adding, "However, it appears it will take some time for the odor to disappear."
(Photo: Courtesy of Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
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