Local government has brought in an "advanced water treatment system" to provide safe tap water. However, consumers have a strong distrust of tap water by "advanced water treatment systems." This study has researched how and why this distrust has forme...
Local government has brought in an "advanced water treatment system" to provide safe tap water. However, consumers have a strong distrust of tap water by "advanced water treatment systems." This study has researched how and why this distrust has formed
and considers what we can do with advanced water treatment systems for improved management and a future policy of tap water service.
First of all, I consider the background of advanced water treatment systems and its theory and researched domestic and oversea countrysides' advanced water treatment works. Also, I analyzed the efficiency in eliminating pollutants of advanced water treatment in the Nakdong River basin. I attempted to prove the satisfaction of consumers for the tap water.
1. I analyzed the data regarding the efficiency of eliminating pollutants in Daegu and Busan which were the first areas to introduce this system. As a result, I discovered that after ozonization it is not very effective in eliminating THMs and so on in the BAC process of the system. Of course, the pollutants concentration is lower than the standard quality of drinking water. However, the pollutants have not been totally eliminated so that the
rate of the pollutants concentration seems to have increased in the storage tank. In case of the Munsan advanced water treatment plant which started its trial operation in July 2009, the elimination of pollutants was very effective for the first four months but afterwards, it became worse and the rate of the pollutants concentration increased.
2. I analyzed residual chlorine concentration of tap water for 50months ( Aug. 2006 ~ Oct. 2010) at Maegok (Daegu), Duksan (Busan), Amsa (Seoul) advanced water works. The consistency of the general residual chlorine was 0.55mg/L, 0.80mg/L, 0.68mg/L in Maegok (Daegu), Duksan (Busan), Amsa (Seoul). The gap of the
consistency with HOCI is +0.05, +0.22, +0.28. These numbers reveal that there is a strong smell of disinfectant in the tap water; it also indicates that this would be one of the reasons why consumers are dissatisfied with tap water.
3. The result of the statistics regarding the satisfaction of tap water is only 0.9 % of Daegu citizens who drink tap water, as in previous studies. An interesting result is that the rate of using water purifiers and drinking mineral water is 61 percent and the rate of drinking boiled water is only 33 percent. The satisfaction rate regarding the taste of tap water is considerably low. The result tells us that consumers smell chlorine T&O (53.4%) and the odor of mold and so on (27%).
4. Also, it tells us that consumers think tap water is expensive (27%) which is two times more than those who think it is reasonable. Consumers think that there is insufficient information about tap water (57~83% in different sections). The satisfaction of tap water is very low
and many consumers prefer to drink purified water or mineral water. However, they feel more concerned about taste and odor and also health uneasiness.
5. In regards to the satisfaction of tap water according to
demographic characteristics, females (compare with males) have lower scores and feel insecure and need more information about tap water. Housewives (compared with people who have jobs) are more concerned about taste and odor and also insecurity over their health.
Also, consumers who drink purified water and mineral water (who drink bottled water) gave lower scores in terms of satisfaction and detect more taste and odor and insecurity regarding their health.
6. According to the structural equation research, the variable of evaluate information directly affects variables of 'taste and odor' and variables of health fears and this development indirectly affects satisfaction. Variables of 'taste and odor' directly affect the variable of health fears and variable of tastiness through variables of evaluating information indirectly affects the satisfaction.
Variables of health fears are affected by variables of evaluating information and variables of 'taste and odor'. On the other hand, it affects the satisfaction and it affects satisfaction indirectly through the variable of tap water value. The variable of taste highly affects satisfaction. On the other hand, it indirectly affects satisfaction through variable tap water value. Variable tap water value affects
satisfaction through the variable of health fears.