The water quality issue, which had been addressed over the past few years, has surfaced once again on POVIS with pictures of showerhead filters filled with dirt. This water quality problem has been mainly reported from the residential areas including both the student dormitory and the faculty apartments, and from a wide range of POSTECH members, from students to professors. The officer of the Facilities Management thereupon replied that they would proceed with the appropriate measures. Recently The Postech Times conducted an interview with the Facilities Management team to listen to their plans and efforts to resolve this issue.
  The Facilities Management team implements regular examinations of the water. The process involves requesting a water quality testing agency under the “Water supply and waterworks installation act” that checks the water analysis data provided by POSCO, which is the water supplier. Although there is no problem with water according to the analysis result, they recognize the phenomenon that the showerhead filter turns black. The reason for this discoloration is manganese (Mn), which exists in the raw water as an ionized element and reacts with chlorine (Cl) in the tap water, making the filter turn black.
  It is presumed that the ionized manganese present in the raw water supplied from POSCO is not completely removed during the water purification process and is supplied to the campus in very small amounts, causing filter discoloration. In addition, previously supplied manganese components may settle into water pipes and then temporarily leak out during facility improvement work or changes in water pressure. The legally permitted concentration of manganese is 0.05mg/L and on-campus water does not exceed this figure, rather it falls short with an amount of 10%. Therefore, it is not noxious to the health and satisfies the drinkable criteria.
  Lots of endeavors have been conducted to cover the various problems such as rust and foreign substances. The Facilities Management team conducts regular cleaning of reservoirs equipped in various buildings on campus, including graduate and faculty apartments and the Residential College (RC). A reservoir that stores a large amount of water for supply to buildings is legally required to be cleaned at least once every six months. Through regular cleaning, foreign substances introduced into the reservoir are removed so that the members of the building can use sanitarily safe water.
  The separate water purifier is operated to improve the condition of water for multi-use facilities like Jigok community center or the student union building and residential buildings. A plan to expand and introduce this to other buildings on campus is now under consideration after analyzing how much the water purifier in operation can ameliorate. Besides, water pipes on campus have been replaced with stainless steel pipes with strong corrosive resistance and a low risk of rust. All water pipes have been replaced with stainless steel materials except outdoor pipes for supply in the laboratory building area.
  The Facilities Management staff member Park Jin Won said that many means beyond those aforementioned are discussed and they need POSTECH members’ support for their work. As a result of the interview, it was revealed that the water quality was not harmful to health, but as there have been continuous suggestions from campus members, it seemed necessary to manage the water quality carefully. There have been many suggestions from residential areas, and dormitories have previously received complaints due to hygiene issues, so special attention is required.