3 in 4 Seoul residents drink tap water: survey

Seoul residents’ tap water drinking rate rose to 75.5 percent this year, with the city saying increased outdoor consumption drove much of the gain. The Seoul Metropolitan Government survey found that 56.5 percent drank tap water outside their homes, up from 51.6 percent in 2024. Overall satisfaction reached 80.2 percent, while the share who said they could drink it without worry rose to 52.1 percent. The city said it will expand water quality testing and information services.

The 75.5 percent figure combines 53.9 percent who drank tap water at home and 21.6 percent who drank it only outside the home.

Seoul’s rate was 78.2 percent under American Water Works Association criteria, compared with a U.S. figure of 65 percent in 2024.

Using Paris’s method of counting people who drink tap water alone or alongside other water, Seoul’s rate was 82.5 percent, compared with Paris at 81 percent in 2025.

Parks and sports facilities were the most common outdoor drinking locations at 32.8 percent, followed by streets and walking trails at 21.5 percent; 54.5 percent said they had used public Arisu drinking fountains.

Hankook Research surveyed 1,000 Seoul residents aged 18 and older online from Aug. 13 to 19.

Published Nov 5, 2026 1:34 pm KST

Updated Nov 5, 2026 5:06 pm KST

A man fills a glass with tap water in this photo. Yonhap

Three in four Seoul residents now drink the city’s tap water, which is sold under the brand name Arisu, and more of them are drinking it away from home, a city survey showed Thursday.

In the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s annual survey, 75.5 percent of residents said they drank tap water this year. That was up from 75 percent last year and 69.6 percent in 2024, when the city started using its own measure. The figure adds the 53.9 percent who drink tap water at home to the 21.6 percent who drink it only outside the home.

The city created the measure because standards for calculating tap water drinking rates vary by country and institution.

Under the American Water Works Association’s criteria, Seoul’s rate was 78.2 percent, 13.2 percentage points above the U.S. figure of 65 percent in 2024. Paris counts people who drink tap water either alone or along with other water. By that method, Seoul’s rate was 82.5 percent, compared with 81 percent for the French capital in 2025.

The city said the rise came mainly from more people drinking tap water outdoors. The share of residents who drank tap water outside their homes climbed to 56.5 percent from 51.6 percent in 2024. Parks and sports facilities were the most common places, at 32.8 percent, followed by streets and walking trails at 21.5 percent. Some 54.5 percent said they had used the public Arisu drinking fountains in such places.

Overall satisfaction with tap water rose above 80 percent for the first time, to 80.2 percent. The share of residents who said they could drink tap water without worry grew to 52.1 percent from 48.3 percent.

Pollster Hankook Research conducted the online survey of 1,000 residents aged 18 and older from Aug. 13 to 19.

“It is a meaningful change that the tap water drinking rate has risen for two consecutive years and satisfaction has exceeded 80 percent for the first time,” said the head of the Seoul Arisu Headquarters, the city’s waterworks agency. The official added that the agency will expand water quality testing and its information services.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

今年首尔居民饮用自来水的比例上升至75.5%，市政府表示，户外饮用自来水的增加是主要增长动力。首尔市政府的调查显示，56.5%的居民会在户外饮用自来水，高于2024年的51.6%。总体满意度达到80.2%，表示可以放心饮用自来水的居民比例上升至52.1%。市政府表示将扩大水质检测和信息服务范围。

75.5% 这个数字包括 53.9% 在家喝自来水的人和 21.6% 只在外面喝自来水的人。

根据美国自来水厂协会的标准，首尔的用水率为 78.2%，而美国 2024 年的用水率目标为 65%。

按照巴黎统计单独饮用自来水或与其他水混合饮用自来水的人数的方法，首尔到 2025 年的自来水饮用率达到 82.5%，而巴黎到 2025 年的自来水饮用率则为 81%。

公园和体育设施是最常见的户外饮水场所，占比 32.8%，其次是街道和步行道，占比 21.5%；54.5% 的人表示他们使用过公共 Arisu 饮水机。

韩国研究院于 8 月 13 日至 19 日对 1000 名 18 岁及以上的首尔居民进行了在线调查。

发布于2026年11月5日下午1:34（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月5日下午5:06（韩国标准时间）

照片中，一名男子正在用自来水灌满一杯水。（韩联社）

周四公布的一项首尔市调查显示，四分之三的首尔居民现在饮用该市的自来水（品牌名为“Arisu”），而且越来越多的人在外地饮用这种水。

首尔市政府的年度调查显示，今年有75.5%的居民表示饮用自来水。这一比例高于去年的75%，也高于2024年（首尔市开始采用自身统计方法时）的69.6%。该数据包括在家饮用自来水的53.9%的居民和仅在户外饮用自来水的21.6%的居民。

该市制定这项措施是因为各国和机构对自来水饮用水标准的计算方法各不相同。

根据美国自来水厂协会的标准，首尔2024年的自来水普及率为78.2%，比美国65%的水平高出13.2个百分点。巴黎则将饮用自来水的人数（无论是否与其他水混合饮用）都纳入统计。按此方法计算，首尔2025年的自来水普及率为82.5%，而巴黎的这一比例为81%。

该市表示，饮用自来水人数上升的主要原因是更多人在户外饮用自来水。在户外饮用自来水的居民比例从2024年的51.6%上升至56.5%。公园和体育设施是最常见的饮用场所，占比32.8%，其次是街道和步行道，占比21.5%。约54.5%的受访者表示，他们曾在这些场所使用过公共的Arisu饮水机。

居民对自来水的总体满意度首次超过80%，达到80.2%。表示可以放心饮用自来水的居民比例从48.3%上升至52.1%。

民意调查机构韩泰研究公司于 8 月 13 日至 19 日对 1000 名 18 岁及以上的居民进行了在线调查。

首尔市自来水厂（首尔市自来水局）负责人表示：“自来水饮用率连续两年上升，满意度首次超过80%，这是一个意义重大的变化。”该负责人补充说，该机构将扩大水质检测范围并提升信息服务水平。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。