Parched and White... "Nightmare of Two Years Ago" Returns Amid Heatwave

[Anchor]

As scorching heat exceeding 40 degrees Celsius continues in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, concerns over drought damage are growing. With the water storage rate of the Unmun Dam plummeting, planned water supply cuts have even been forecasted in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province.

TBC reporter Kim Nak-sung investigated the situation.

[Reporter]

Large water trucks line up to enter a water reservoir in Gakbuk-myeon, Cheongdo County.

The vehicles brought water loaded from the Jain Water Treatment Plant in Gyeongsan, supplying a total of 240 tons across 16 trucks, with 15 tons per vehicle.

Water is being replenished to prepare for a worst-case scenario as water demand exceeds supply due to the ongoing drought.

[Kim Geon-hyung / Cheongdo County Water Management Office: (How long this situation will last) Even we cannot guarantee that. Depending on the amount supplied by the Korea Water Resources Corporation, it could last a long time or end quickly...]

The river next to the reservoir has dried up so severely that its white riverbed is completely exposed.

Cheongdo's cumulative precipitation this year stands at 413 mm, reaching only 66 percent of last year's level.

The water storage rate of the Unmun Dam, the main water intake source, is also in the 26 percent range.

This is about 60 percent of the average year, and since July 15, it has been the only dam among 12 water supply dams nationwide to remain under the "severe" drought stage.

As daily water consumption exceeded the maximum daily production capacity of the Unmun Water Treatment Plant, Cheongdo County forecasted planned water cuts for Punggak-myeon, Iseo-myeon, and Gakbuk-myeon on the 2nd.

Residents who experienced water outages in some areas two years ago remain on edge.

[Kim Kyung-soon / Restaurant Owner: If water doesn't come out, that's the biggest trouble of all. We have to do dishes with water, wash vegetables, wash rice—water is the most important thing...]

Cheongdo County has begun emergency responses by supplying some 40,000 bottles of drinking water to high-altitude areas where planned water cuts are forecasted, reducing tap water supply volumes in certain regions, and monitoring reservoir water levels and supply statuses in 30-minute intervals.

However, with no rain in the forecast for the time being and water consumption continuing to rise due to the worst heatwave, the crisis of water supply cuts is expected to persist for a while.

(Video by Noh Tae-hee / TBC)

TBC Kim Nak-sung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.