K-water inks technology pact with AWWA of the U.S.

K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon and AWWA Chairman Joseph Jacangelo at the K-water headquarters in Daejeon on Thursday. [K-WATER]

Korea Water Resource Corp. (K-water) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) agreed to cooperate on research and development of technologies to improve the water supply systems.

Areas of cooperation include establishing an artificial intelligence-based smart water purification system, management of outdated water facilities and research and development in future technologies.

During a meeting at K-water headquarters in Daejeon on Thursday, K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon and AWWA Chairman Joseph Jacangelo agreed on the need for new technologies as the world faces climate changes.

The state-owned water management company said the agreement with AWWA will promote K-water’s technologies in the North American market and advance its own technological development.

K-water has a pioneering smart water purification system at its facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, that operated autonomously.

The water management company plans to expand its future water management system to 43 purification facilities next year.

“We expect meaningful cooperation in water management through this agreement,” K-water CEO Park said. “As a water-management public company that represents Korea, we will do our duty to advance technologies in the water field through the establishment of an international cooperation network.”

AWWA, founded in 1881, is the largest non-profit science and educational institute in North America in the field of managing and treating water with roughly 50,000 members.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]