TRASH PILED UP IN LAKE CHUNGJU

[Anchor Lead]

Lake Chungju, the largest source of drinking water in the Seoul metropolitan area, is covered in floating trash following torrential rains. A huge pile of trash has formed near Oksun Bridge over the lake.

[Pkg]

Lake Chungju is the largest man-made lake in Korea. A huge pile of trash has formed under a bridge, including plastic waste, tree branches and household items. They were brought here from upstream by the recent torrential rains. It has even disrupted the operation of the lake ferry.

[Soundbite] Park Jong-chul(Jecheon Resident) : "There is trash not only here, but over there as well. The ferry cannot operate normally and I think water here has become contaminated."

The amount of trash in Lake Chungju is estimated at 15,000 cubic meters. If the problem is not addressed, water in the lake, which serves as the Seoul Metropolitan area's largest source of drinking water, will inevitably be contaminated. On August 13, the Korea Water Resources Corporation began moving the trash to the area around Ok-soon Bridge using ships and nets. It will likely take two more weeks to gather and process all the trash floating in the lake and scattered around it.

[Soundbite] Kim Ji-hoon(Korea Water Resources Corporation) : "We’re going to survey the area and request a waste processing company to remove trash swiftly. All of the trees and plants will be recycled."

But waste removal efforts could be postponed as more heavy rains are expected in the central region in the coming days.