Parched and White... Drought Fears Revive 'Nightmare from Two Years Ago' Amid Scorching Heatwave

[Anchor]

As scorching heatwaves exceeding 40 degrees Celsius continue in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, concerns over drought damage are growing. With the water storage rate of the Unmun Dam plummeting, scheduled water supply interruptions have even been announced in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province.

TBC reporter Kim Nak-sung has the story.

[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 each carrying 15 tons.

Water is being replenished to prepare for worst-case scenarios as continuous drought causes water demand to exceed supply.

[Kim Geun-hyung / Cheongdo County Waterworks Business 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 exposed.

This year's cumulative precipitation in Cheongdo stands at 413 mm, merely 66% compared to last year.

The water storage rate of the Unmun Dam, the primary water source, is in the 26% range.

This is about 60% of usual years, and since June 15 [Note: referring to June 15, 2026], it has remained the only dam among 12 water supply dams nationwide under the "severe" drought stage.

As daily water usage exceeded the maximum daily production capacity of the Unmun Water Treatment Plant, Cheongdo County announced scheduled water supply interruptions for Punggak-myeon, Iseo-myeon, and Gakbuk-myeon on the 2nd.

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

[Kim Kyung-soon / Restaurant Owner: If water doesn't come out, that is the biggest crisis of all. We need water to wash dishes, wash vegetables, and wash rice. Water is the most important thing...]

Cheongdo County has stepped up with emergency responses by supplying some 40,000 bottles of drinking water to high-altitude areas where scheduled water cuts were announced, reducing tap water supply volumes in certain regions, and monitoring reservoir water levels and supply conditions every 30 minutes.

However, with no rain in the forecast for the time being and water usage continuing to surge due to the worst-case heatwave, the crisis of water supply interruptions is expected to persist for a while.

(Video Reporter: Noh Tae-hee, TBC)

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