<Purpose of Amendment>
The purpose of this amendment is to rationalize the installation of metering devices for wastewater discharging into joint treatment facilities, expand the exceptions for the operation and management of public wastewater treatment facilities for research or efficient wastewater treatment, and exclude research facilities using public treatment facility wastewater from being categorized as wastewater discharge facilities.
Additionally, the period for water quality testing in recreational water facilities is clarified, and when registering the installation and operation of such facilities, the discharge water treatment plan will be required to ensure compliance with the "Wastewater Act" in cases excluding public sewer system inflows.
Furthermore, in order to improve the management system for non-point source pollution, the submission requirements for exemption from installing non-point source pollution control facilities will be simplified and specified, and the delegation basis for the investigation and management of such facilities will be established to address some of the operational shortcomings in the current system.
<Key Points>
a. Regulations on Aquatic Ecosystem Health Assessment and Result Publication (Article 24-3 of the draft)
With the delegation of aquatic ecosystem health assessment tasks to the National Institute of Ecology, the assessment body will be changed to the Director of the National Institute of Ecology, and the results will be submitted to the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Research.
b. New Measures for Pollution Prevention and Removal in Public Water Bodies (Article 26-3 of the draft)
Regulations on the prevention of pollutant release and spread, removal of released pollutants, and safe disposal of materials and chemicals used in pollution control will be introduced.
c. Rationalizing Metering Device Installation for Joint Treatment Facilities (Article 45, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 5 of the draft)
If the wastewater discharge amount can be estimated based on water usage, the requirement to install separate metering devices will be eliminated.
d. Expanding Exceptions for the Operation and Management of Public Wastewater Treatment Facilities (Article 70-2, Paragraph 1 of the draft)
The operation and management exceptions will include cases where wastewater is discharged without passing through the final outlet for research or efficient treatment of wastewater discharge facilities.
e. Simplifying and Specifying the Documentation for Non-Point Source Pollution Control Facility Installation Registration (Article 73, Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the draft)
1) When there are multiple entities installing non-point source pollution facilities on the same site and a party intends to avoid installing pollution control facilities, they can omit submitting a non-point source pollution control plan.
2) The specific documents that must be submitted by businesses seeking to prove that runoff from their site always meets discharge standards will be clarified.
f. Updating the Names of Agencies According to Other Legal Amendments (Article 78, Paragraph 2 of the draft)
g. Establishing the Delegation Basis for Investigation and Management of Non-Point Source Pollution Control Facilities (Article 84-2 of the draft)
The delegation basis for specialized research institutions for the investigation and management of non-point source pollution control facilities will be established.
h. Updating the Classification of Wastewater Discharge Facilities and Rationalizing Application Standards (Appendix 4 of the draft)
With the revision of the Korean Standard Industrial Classification (11th edition, 2024), the classification codes for wastewater discharge facilities will be updated.
Wastewater used for research within public wastewater treatment facility sites will be excluded from the classification as a wastewater discharge facility when treated within the facility.
i. Specifying the Installation and Operation/Management Standards for Non-Point Source Pollution Control Facilities (Appendix 6, 17, and 18 of the draft)
1) Non-point source pollution control plans considering low-impact development methods will be required, and the types of facilities using these methods will be defined.
2) For filtration-type facilities, periodic management of the polluted filter media will be required, and cleaning methods will be specified based on on-site conditions.
j. Actions for Expanding the Exceptions for Public Wastewater Treatment Facility Operation/Management (Appendix 15 of the draft)
If a facility uses the wastewater in a manner different from the previously agreed plan with the jurisdictional regional environmental office or local environmental office, wastewater supply will be immediately suspended.
k. Clarifying the Water Quality Inspection Period for Recreational Water Facilities (Appendix 19-2 of the draft)
l. Adding a Discharge Water Treatment Plan Requirement for Recreational Water Facility Reports (Appendix 40-2, 40-3, and 40-5 of the draft)
