Water Rationing Implemented in parts of Cheongdo County Amidst Heatwave

Cheongdo County in Gyeongsangbuk-do has begun implementing scheduled water rationing in some regions. This decision comes as a significant increase in household water demand, attributed to a severe heatwave, has surpassed the daily production capacity of the Unmun Water Treatment Plant.

On a recent day, the daily water usage in Cheongdo reached 24,000 tons, exceeding the plant's maximum daily output of 21,000 tons. Consequently, the county initiated a planned water cutoff from 4 PM to midnight, affecting three areas: Punggak-myeon (Ansan, Geumgok, Hwasan, Wolbong, Deokyang, Chasan), the entirety of Gakbuk-myeon, and Iseo-myeon (Daegok, Paljo, Chilgok, Sinchon).

To mitigate the impact on residents in the affected areas, Cheongdo County is distributing approximately 39,000 2-liter bottles of drinking water. County officials stated that the preemptive rationing is intended to prevent reservoir water levels from dropping further, which could lead to extended, unplanned outages. Efforts are being made to minimize inconvenience to residents.

The Unmun Dam's water storage rate stood at 26.7% as of a recent afternoon. Cheongdo County is reportedly the only region among the twelve regions with major reservoirs experiencing a 'severe' drought level. This situation is reminiscent of a similar incident in August 2024, where high water usage from pensions, livestock farms, and orchards during a heatwave also led to supply disruptions for about 1,700 households in elevated areas of Punggak-myeon and Gangnam-myeon.