The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wan-seop) announced that Deputy Minister Lee Byung-hwa visited Boryeong Dam in Chungnam on February 25th to inspect the drought situation and water supply measures.
Boryeong Dam entered the drought ‘Concern’ stage on January 2, 2025, and as of February 25, the reservoir level is at 32.6%, which is 80.7% of the average annual level. Consequently, the Ministry of Environment is operating a waterway to send Geum River water to Boryeong Dam to maintain stable supply for domestic and industrial use. Currently, up to 115,000 tons of water per day is being supplied to Boryeong Dam through this waterway.
Boryeong Dam is a key water resource facility that supplies domestic and industrial water to eight cities and counties in the western part of Chungnam (Boryeong, Seocheon, Hongseong, Yesan, Cheongyang, Seosan, Dangjin, Taean) and six power plants (Shin Seocheon, Shin Boryeong, Boryeong Thermal, Taean, Dangjin Thermal, Naepo Cogeneration).
Constructed beginning in 1990 and completed in 1998, the dam has a total storage capacity of 116.9 million cubic meters and an effective storage capacity of 108.7 million cubic meters. Although the current reservoir level has decreased to 32.6%, the Ministry of Environment maintains water supply by operating the waterway connecting Geum River water to Boryeong Dam.
The Boryeong Dam waterway consists of a 21.9 km pipeline, intake stations, and pumping stations, and is activated when the drought ‘Concern’ stage is declared. Through this, the dam’s reservoir level is maintained above a certain level to support stable water supply.
On this day, Deputy Minister Lee Byung-hwa directly checked the reservoir status and water supply situation of Boryeong Dam and discussed additional measures to cope with the potential prolongation of the drought.
Deputy Minister Lee said, “Currently, we are supplying domestic and industrial water normally to all regions nationwide, including the Boryeong Dam supply area. As climate change is increasing the variability of rainfall, we will cooperate closely with relevant agencies to ensure that no damage from drought occurs, striving to supply domestic and industrial water without issues.”
The Ministry of Environment, through this site inspection, discussed additional water securing measures in preparation for the potential prolongation of the drought. In particular, they are reviewing plans to adjust the amount of water flowing into Boryeong Dam using Geum River, Daecheong, and Yongdam Dam sources, while strengthening cooperation with relevant agencies to maintain a stable water management system.