Most North Koreans have tap water. But that doesn’t mean it’s always running.



Columns Most North Koreans have tap water. But that doesn’t mean it’s always running. Citizens have devised ad hoc solutions to unreliable water supply over the years, with entrepreneurship playing key role Andrei Lankov November 15, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korean children bring back buckets full of water from a well in the countryside, April 13, 2008 \| Image: Eric Lafforgue Easy access to clean tap water is one of the unsung miracles of the modern world. A tap and a piece of soap in the kitchen, not to mention flush toilets, have arguably saved more human lives than many wonder drugs. Yet while some 82% of North Koreans have access to tap water usable for basic sanitation, that water is not necessarily safe to drink: According to UNICEF, only 61% have access to safely managed water services. Another problem is even those with taps in their homes may not always have running water due to frequent power outages that shut off pumps. Easy access to clean tap water is one of the unsung miracles of the modern world. A tap and a piece of soap in the kitchen, not to mention flush toilets, have arguably saved more human lives than many wonder drugs. Yet while some 82% of North Koreans have access to tap water usable for basic sanitation, that water is not necessarily safe to drink: According to UNICEF, only 61% have access to safely managed water services. Another problem is even those with taps in their homes may not always have running water due to frequent power outages that shut off pumps. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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Most North Koreans have tap water. But that doesn’t mean it’s always running.

Citizens have devised ad hoc solutions to unreliable water supply over the years, with entrepreneurship playing key role

Andrei Lankov November 15, 2022

Most North Koreans have tap water. But that doesn’t mean it’s always running.

North Korean children bring back buckets full of water from a well in the countryside, April 13, 2008 | Image: Eric Lafforgue

Easy access to clean tap water is one of the unsung miracles of the modern world. A tap and a piece of soap in the kitchen, not to mention flush toilets, have arguably saved more human lives than many wonder drugs.

Yet while some 82% of North Koreans have access to tap water usable for basic sanitation, that water is not necessarily safe to drink: According to UNICEF, only 61% have access to safely managed water services. Another problem is even those with taps in their homes may not always have running water due to frequent power outages that shut off pumps.

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