Busan is building South Korea's first artificial intelligence-powered water treatment plant, the city government announced.
The Busan Waterworks Headquarters said Wednesday it held a launch briefing for the "AI Water Treatment Plant Construction Project" at its office on April 16 and has begun full-scale work to introduce an intelligent water purification system centered on the Myeongjang Water Treatment Plant.
The project will apply AI technology across the entire purification process, including real-time automated process control, big data-based water quality management and predictive equipment maintenance. The city plans to establish an autonomous plant operation system, optimize energy use and prevent safety accidents before they occur.
Busan has already inspected key facilities including sedimentation basins, filtration systems and ozone treatment units through on-site surveys. The city will now assess infrastructure conditions and develop a concrete AI transformation strategy for autonomous operations. Construction will begin in the second half of the year in conjunction with the Myeongjang plant reconstruction project, with a target completion date of 2029.
The AI-powered plant is expected to improve process stability, enabling production of higher-quality tap water while significantly reducing human errors during operations. Optimized use of chemicals and electricity is also projected to cut annual operating costs by approximately 5 percent.
Busan also plans to introduce digital twin-based operational technology in partnership with a research and development project by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), maximizing energy savings. The city intends to apply AI technology to modernization projects at aging water treatment plants citywide, upgrading its overall water management system.
City officials shared the project and other water management innovation cases at a nationwide briefing hosted by the Climate, Energy and Environment Division in Daejeon on the same day, aiming to establish the initiative as a leading model for digital transformation in local waterworks across the country.
"Adopting an AI-based water management system is not an option but a necessity," a city official said. "We will apply artificial intelligence across all waterworks operations to build a safer and more reliable tap water supply system."
