Uranium exceeding the safety limit by up to 28 times has been detected in civil defense emergency water supply facilities used by residents when tap water supplies are cut off due to war or disasters.

Despite this, the facilities are still designated as drinking water sources.

According to data obtained from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Hae-sik, 830.4 micrograms of uranium per liter of water was detected at the Buksaemal Park emergency water supply facility in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.

This is approximately 28 times the drinking water standard for uranium, which is 30 micrograms per liter.

This facility has exceeded the uranium standards every year in annual tests over the past three years since 2023.

In a re-examination conducted in December of last year, 615 micrograms, which is 20.5 times the standard limit, was also detected.

However, in tests conducted in March, June, and September of this year, the facility received passing grades after only being tested for items other than uranium.

The designation as a drinking water facility was maintained without verifying whether the uranium levels had dropped below the standard limit.

Similar cases were confirmed in other regions.

At another emergency water supply facility in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, uranium was detected at more than 20 times the standard limit, and facilities in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul; Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province; and Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, also tested positive for excessive uranium.

Uranium is classified under drinking water quality standards as a substance that can have harmful effects on health. It is not removed by general disinfection and can adversely affect the kidneys if ingested over a long period.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety operational manual, if a facility fails a water quality test, it must be temporarily closed, undergo water quality improvement, and be re-tested.

If a facility repeatedly fails tests and there is no possibility of improvement, measures such as changing its usage or revoking its designation are also required.

However, the management issue regarding water-quality-unfit facilities was not limited to uranium.

From March 2023 to June of this year, out of 2,130 emergency drinking water supply facilities, 546 facilities—accounting for 25.6% of the total—failed tests four or more times.

Among these, only 3 facilities had their designations revoked.

The remaining 543 facilities are still designated as emergency drinking water supply facilities.

A facility in Yeongdo-gu, Busan, failed 14 consecutive tests due to excess levels of bacteria and coliforms, yet its designation was not revoked.

Lawmaker Lee Hae-sik pointed out that a full inspection must be conducted starting with facilities where uranium was detected and those with repeated test failures.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video Editing by Hong Jin-young | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News