“Could I just drink a glass of water?” (reporter)
“Yes. Come on in. You can get it from the water purifier over there.” (At a gas station in Dongjak-gu)
The place I asked for a cup of water was at a gas station in Dongjak-gu, Seoul.
It is a place where anyone can drink water, even if it is not a customer who puts gas.
You only need to bring your own cup or water bottle. “There is a trail around here. It’s hot, so people walking around ask if they’re not digging water. So, I started watering it. If you buy water from a convenience store or something, these days it’s too expensive, and there’s a lot of plastic waste. Here, if you bring your own cup or water bottle, you can drink as much water as you like.” – There are shops all over Seoul that share water even if you are not a customer, like this gas station, Mr. Jang (Gas Station Official). These stores are participating in the ‘Oasis Seoul’ project, which provides free drinking water to those who bring a tumbler or personal water bottle.
‘Preparation for the heatwave and reducing disposable items’… Shops that participated voluntarily
It started in July of last year. The intention was to share water in preparation for a heat wave. Not only people passing by, but also workers who have to work outdoors can drink water at any time without using the store.
It was also a dimension to reduce the use of disposable items such as plastic bottles by using personal water bottles.
Shops that agreed with the purpose participated voluntarily. Franchise cafes and restaurants as well as individual self-employed people have stepped up.
Mr. Park, who runs a zero-waist shop in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, has been participating in the project since last year. The intention was to reduce disposables as little as possible. Coffee is also available here for free.
Mr. Park said, “There is a university nearby, so there are many students who live on their own.” At the same time, he said, “They say that you can take any water you want to drink at home instead of buying it in a plastic bottle, but I can’t come often because I’m sorry먹튀검증.”
Just because the stores participate in this project does not mean that they receive support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
An official from the Climate and Environment Policy Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “The project itself was started with the purpose of sharing, so there is no separate budget.”
The purpose is good, but the usage rate is low… “Plan to expand to library and bookstore”
Starting this year, district offices with public drinking fountains, community centers, and banks also participated, allowing drinking water at a total of 1,700 stores in Seoul.
Participation is increasing, but not many citizens are using it.
Mr. Park said, “I have been participating in the project since last year, but I have to come a lot, about 1 or 2 people a week.”
The biggest reason is that I don’t know that such a project exists.
Mr. Jang, who is in charge of the gas station, said, “Most of the people come to ask if they can get a glass of water rather than knowing about this project.” do,” he said.
It is also a limitation that it is not easy to know the store information participating in the project.
Currently, to check participating stores, you need to search for ‘Oasis Seoul’ on the portal site, access the Seoul Metropolitan Government website, and check the location of the store.
There is also a ‘Oasis Seoul’ sticker attached to the store. However, it is small and inconspicuous.
An official from the city of Seoul said, “We plan to expand participating stores to places that citizens use a lot, such as libraries and bookstores.”