Osan water deemed 'healthy and safe'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Rojek
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The water at Osan is as safe to drink as ever, base officials said recently. 

"The water is healthy, but we make it pristine using filters and disinfectants," said Capt. Chunil Paeng, 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron. "We go above and beyond to ensure the safety of the drinking water." 

Tap water on-base actually gets filtered twice before making its way to the consumer - once at an off-base water treatment plant and then again once it reaches Osan. It is only after going through both treatment plants that the water comes to Team Osan's homes and offices. 

The water comes from a pipeline traced to Seoul, where the water treatment plant uses a "rapid sand" filtration system, which is also used extensively throughout the United States, said Tech. Sgt. John Ferrara, 51st Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of utilities. The water is then disinfected and sent to Osan. 

"When the water ... arrives here it is then passed thru our state of the art 'ZeeWeed ZW1000 Drinking Water Filtration System,' capable of producing water quality that cannot be surpassed" said Sergeant Ferrara. "We are blessed with a very expensive and efficient treatment plant most municipalities in the States do not have, and we double filter our water, once in Seoul and again here at Osan Air Base." 

While the water remains safe to drink and use for cooking, the bioenvironmental engineering flight recommends flushing the water for approximately 60 seconds, or until clear, before drinking. The EPA makes the same recommendation for consumers in the U.S. 

"Iron in the water line is an (EPA) secondary standard," said Tech. Sgt. Benito Hibbert, 51st AMDS. "Flushing the water will also get rid of the color. It is still safe to drink." 

Some consumers mistakenly connect water safety to its taste or clarity; however, Environmental Protection Agency standards set through the Safe Drinking Water Act place aesthetics as a secondary concern. Primary standards are concerned with health risks, and are stringently enforced, while secondary standards focus on look and taste. 

Using taste or looks as a guideline, some consumers only trust bottled water to drink, thinking it is the safest way to go, but again, this is a common misconception. 

"Bottled water may have more contaminants than our water," said Sergeant Hibbert. "Water bottlers are allowed a certain amount of contaminants. Also, there are different rules for each company since they come from different countries." 

The bottom line is that water from the tap at Osan is a safe way to go. 

"In my personal opinion, the water is much safer here than in the States," said Captain Paeng. "Our water already comes from a potable water treatment plant, and then here it goes through a second treatment plant. This makes our water healthier and safer."