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| A customer is buying packs of bottled water at a discount store in Daegu, Friday. Discount stores and convenience stores are enjoying brisk sales of bottled water, after harmful chemicals have been found in the region's tap water. Yonhap |
Fears over 'carcinogenic tap water' drive buying spree
By Jung Da-min
Discount stores and convenience stores in Daegu are enjoying brisk sales of bottled water, after harmful chemicals were found in the city's tap water, according to retailers Monday.
The sales of bottled water soared last week, a spokesman at E-mart, the country's biggest discount chain, said.
"Sales of bottled water in E-mart's six stores in Daegu increased by 509 percent Friday and Saturday from a year ago," he said. "The size of the bottled water market itself is so large that sales increases and decreases usually range within 10 percent. The six-fold increase is a very unusual thing."
Convenience stores are also enjoying increased sales of bottled water.
"Our convenience stores in Daegu saw sales of bottled water jump 97 percent last weekend, compared to the previous week," a CU spokesman said. "We will do everything we can to ensure a stable supply."
According to the Ministry of Environment's recent water investigation, two perfluorinated compounds ― perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) ― were found in Daegu's tap water. The chemicals are known to have a harmful influence on human bodies, affecting hormones.
Although there are no official global guideline values for PFHxS in drinking water, the 5.8 micrograms of PFHxS per liter found in the Gumi sewage treatment plant from May 17 to June 8 is far above recommended maximum in other countries' water quality guidelines ― 10 times more than Canada (0.6 micrograms per liter) and 80 times more than Australia (0.07 micrograms per liter).
The ministry said on Friday it took corrective measures and the level of PFHxS at the plant was 0.092 micrograms per liter on June 20. It also added the amount of PFOA found in Daegu's Maegok filtration plant and Munsan filtration plant are 0.004 micrograms per liter and 0.003 micrograms per liter respectively, far below the guideline values in other countries including the U.S. (0.07 micrograms per liter), Germany (0.3 micrograms per liter) and Australia (0.56 micrograms per liter).
Public panic over tap water, however, has been continuing. Residents have been lining up at local stores to buy bottled water. "I bought 24 bottles at a discount store after the news broke out," said a 33-year-old, surnamed Lee.
Local restaurants have also been receiving customer inquiries on whether they are using water from Nakdong River, the source for the filtration and sewage treatment plants where chemicals have been found.
"I have been receiving inquiries on water," a local restaurant owner said through a mobile food delivery application on Saturday. "My store is located in Shinam-1-dong and receiving water from Unmun Dam," he said, assuring customers the restaurant is not using water from Nakdong River.
"People have become extremely cautious when eating and drinking," said Chang, a 25-year-old Daegu resident who declined to give a full name.
