The Han River: Water Quality & Ecosystem-A Comparison with the Potomac River Management-

Abstract

Comparing two capital cities of the United States and Korea from the water resources management has not been attempted. This is the first attempt. Comparative study will make knowledge more scientific and more desirable. Washington, D.C. and Seoul have recently had financial difficulties (due to different reasons: typical urban fiscal fiasco, e.g., flight of middle class to the suburbia in the US and the national financial crisis in Korea), and deteriorating environmental infrastructure and lack of commitment to improve environmental structure and system. Two cities have the same mandate to reduce point- and non-point sources of pollutants, e.g., urban runoff and upstream farming runoff. However, Washington offers a lesson to Seoul: Regional river basin approach and privatization. Washington, D.C. and its suburbia jointly run the Blue Plains Wastewater Plant; Montgomery County and Prince George's County run the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission as a private utility firm manages drinking water and wastewater; and Fairfax County Water Authority manages drinking water as a private utility firm.