On the morning of the 2nd at 10 a.m., a procession of water supply vehicles was underway at the Seongsan Intersection, entering the Obong Reservoir, which is the water source for the Gangneung area. After observing for about 5 minutes, more than 10 vehicles headed towards the Obong Reservoir. To allow the large water supply vehicles to move smoothly to the reservoir, the city of Gangneung blocked the entry of regular vehicles on that road.
The water supply vehicles that arrived near the reservoir connected hoses to pre-installed water supply pipes or filled the reservoir directly by spraying water. The capacity of the Obong Reservoir is approximately 14.5 million tons. As of the morning of the 2nd, the reservoir held about 2 million tons of water, with a utilization rate of only 14%.
The average water storage capacity of one water supply vehicle is about 10 tons. It is said that approximately 3,000 tons of water were filled using water supply vehicles throughout the day before. This means it would take 5 days to fill just 0.1% of the reservoir's capacity using this method. An official from the Obong Reservoir remarked, "Compared to the total reservoir capacity, using water supply vehicles to fill it can be seen as 'just a drop in the bucket,' but still, isn't it about gathering little by little to make a mountain?"
Currently, the city of Gangneung is using water supply vehicles to fill the Hongje Water Treatment Plant, which connects directly to the water supply, and is filling the Obong Reservoir with the remaining water.
At the Hongje Water Treatment Plant that we visited next, fire trucks were filling the tanks with water. These fire trucks were from other metropolitan municipalities such as Gyeongbuk and Chungnam. A firefighter who was connecting hoses said, "We go to Jumunjin or Yangyang to fetch water and fill this place." He added, "It takes about an hour to fill water each time—40 minutes to move and 20 minutes to transfer the water. We move water about 8 times a day."
Gangneung has often experienced droughts in the summer in the past. However, it is said that a drought like this is unprecedented. A citizen noted, "I have never seen it not rain this much" and added, "There's a shortage of water for local residents, and the increased water consumption due to the influx of summer tourists seems to have also contributed to the water scarcity."
Upon entering the office of the Gangneung City Water Supply Management Division at the Hongje Water Treatment Plant, calls regarding complaints were continuously coming in. Even as the reporter was hearing about drought conditions from the head of the department, the phone did not stop ringing. One citizen questioned, "Can't we just redirect water from the Doam Dam?" and the staff who answered the phone transferred the call by saying, "The Doam Dam is managed by the Environmental Division."
◇ There is plenty of water at the Doam Dam, 15 km from the Obong Reservoir
Currently, the utilization of the Doam Dam is being discussed as one of the measures to alleviate the drought in the Gangneung area. The Doam Dam is located at an altitude of 700m in Daegwalyang, Pyeongchang, adjacent to Gangneung. It is accessed by departing from downtown Gangneung and passing through the Anbandegi area, renowned for its highland agriculture. Although it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to drive along winding mountain roads, in a straight line, it is only 15 km from the Obong Reservoir to the Doam Dam.
Currently, approximately 30 million tons of water are stored there, presenting a completely different appearance than the Obong Reservoir, which has shown the bare bottom. According to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the maximum water storage capacity of the Doam Dam is 51 million tons, which is three times that of the Obong Reservoir. An official from KHNP explained that the dam's gates are currently open, and it is storing water at two-thirds of its capacity.
The water from the uppermost region of the Namhan River flows through the Gangwon and Chungbuk areas, passing through the Paldang Dam to the West Sea. To redirect this water route to flow into the East Sea, the Doam Dam was completed in 1990. It was built to supply water to the water-scarce Gangneung area while enabling hydropower generation (Gangneung Hydropower Plant) through watershed reallocation. The expectation was that it would achieve a dual effect by supplying both water and electricity to the Yeongdong region.
However, the Gangneung Hydropower Plant ceased operations from 1991 to 2001. This was because residents of Gangneung raised concerns about water quality and temperature. It was reported that pollutants from livestock farms in Daegwalyang and fertilizers and soil from highland farms led to water quality issues. There were also voices claiming that cold water from high elevations affected agricultural crops along the Namdaecheon River. The current mayor of Gangneung, Kim Hong-kyu, is known to have led the 'Namdaecheon Restoration Movement' that opposed the inflow of water from the Doam Dam at that time.
KHNP, which manages the Gangneung Hydropower Plant and the Doam Dam, has installed facilities at the dam for water quality improvement and temperature control in response to community feedback. As a result, KHNP explained that the current water quality at the Doam Dam is even cleaner than the water from the Paldang Dam, which serves as the water source for Seoul citizens. To control water temperature, a water intake tower was installed so that deep water does not flow out immediately, allowing surface water to enter the waterway.
◇ To supply water from the Doam Dam… reinstalling generators and consensus from the Jeongseon area are necessary
However, even after these improvement efforts, there has never been a supply of water from the Doam Dam to the Gangneung area, thus the local perception that 'Doam Dam water = bad water' has not significantly changed.
Now, amidst severe drought, isn't it possible to immediately open the waterways to supply water from the Doam Dam to Gangneung? It is said that two preliminary tasks must be completed for this.
Technically, the generating facilities that have been removed need to be reinstalled. Opening the waterway tunnels would release high-pressure water. Hydro turbines act as resistors to reduce this pressure. If the generators are not reinstalled and water is released, high-pressure water could hit the walls of the power plant, potentially causing the building to collapse. A KHNP official noted, "Opening the waterway without reinstalling the generators is like supplying high-voltage power directly to homes without transforming it."
A social consensus must also be reached. Currently, the Jeongseon area, through which the water flows, opposes the resumption of operations at the Gangneung Hydropower Plant. They argue that the dam's water level would need to be raised for hydropower operations, which would reduce the amount of water flowing into the Donggang River. There are significant concerns that this would adversely affect the local recreational economy centered around the Donggang River.
A KHNP official stated, "Currently, the water supplied from the Doam Dam accounts for about 8% of the total water supply for the Jeongseon area," adding, "If operations at the Gangneung Power Plant are resumed, there are concerns that this supply amount will drop to '0' in Jeongseon, but about 4-5% will continue to be maintained during the water level adjustment process."