<Anchor> As

a small bug appeared in the tap water in the Incheon area and similar reports continued in other areas, the Ministry of Environment conducted an emergency inspection. We have identified 49 water purification plants nationwide that use it as a filter to filter out activated carbon as in the Incheon area. As a result, larvae were found in five water purification plants in other regions besides Incheon Gongchon and Bupyeong.

This is reporter Park Chan-beom.

<Reporter>

Five additional larvae were found in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, Samgye, Gyesan, Beomeo, Ulsan Hoeya, and Uiryeong Hwajeong.

Like the two water purification plants in Incheon, the larvae came out from the filter paper part where the activated carbon was administered.

The Ministry of Environment, however, says there are no chances for larvae to be found in homes where five additional water purification plants supply tap water.

[Sinjinsu / Ministry of Water Integration Policy Director Water Treatment Plant ends with, and I checked all these parts reservoirs in other Incheon no such requirements the larvae are found.]

As a factor of the Ministry of Environment larvae of "mismanagement" of the purification plant occur I estimate.

They reported that the insects could have come through the damaged windows or torn screens and laid eggs, so they gave supplements to 12 water purification facilities that lacked insect prevention facilities.

The long cleaning cycle of these water purification plants is also pointed out as a problem.

A regular water purification plant has a washing cycle of about 3 days, but a water purification plant with activated carbon filter paper can reach 30 days long.

This is because frequent cleaning of activated carbon filter paper reduces the effect of removing odors and contaminants.

The longer the filter paper cleaning cycle, the greater the chance that eggs or larvae will survive.

"As a result of activated carbon, the eggs of mucus components can stick better," said an expert at the public-private joint investigation team.

The Ministry of Environment said 19 cases of tap water larvae outside of Incheon are irrelevant to the water purification plant and will continue to investigate the cause.

(Video coverage: Kim Min-cheol, video editing: Yumira, CG: Bang Myung-hwan, Jeong Hyun-jung, Lee Yu-jin, Um So-min)