The Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) showcased a wide range of innovative technologies for removing algal blooms, demonstrating its strong commitment to freeing rivers and streams from algal blooms by utilizing sites such as Daecheong Dam as testbeds.

Ahead of the Algal Bloom Technology Expo held at the Sejong Hall of its headquarters, K-water exhibited major domestic algal bloom control technologies. These included a multifunctional water purification system using a buoyant waterwheel, titanium dioxide–impregnated green balls, a microwave algal drying device, a natural mineral–based algal adsorption mat, and an algal removal fountain system called PaDO. K-water has identified these technologies and provided both direct and indirect support for their development.

Growith CEO Kang Myungjun introduced a product named PaDO. The system draws water from below the surface and discharges it upward, increasing the level of dissolved oxygen in the water and improving environments where organisms cannot survive due to algal blooms. The current version is approximately the size of a tire, but there are plans to scale it up to a diameter of 1.2 meters for installation in dams and reservoirs. Testing is also planned at the Daecheong Lake K-Testbed. The system is capable of autonomous navigation and remote control.

Growith began as a university student startup club. CEO Kang is a member of the Class of 2020 in the College of Engineering at Kongju National University and is working together with juniors and seniors who share a common goal of removing algal blooms.

CEO Kang stated, “We also considered landscaping by enabling the system to spray fountains,” adding, “By increasing the size, we aim to achieve both landscaping and algal bloom removal.”

Source:데일리한국(Daily Hankook)(https://daily.hankooki.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1192036)