Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the concentration distributions and formation characteristics oftrihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water supplies to rural communities. Water samples were collected twice from40 rural households located on the outskirts of Chuncheon city of Gangwon Province in the summers of 2010 and2011, and urban drinking water samples were collected from 20 faucets during the same period in 2011 for comparisonpurpose. Water temperature, pH, and residual chlorine (total and free) concentrations were measured in the field, andsamples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and THM concentrations in the laboratory. The averageDOC concentrations in rural water samples were not greatly different between groundwater (n = 20) and surface water(n = 20) which were used as sources for drinking water (1.81 vs. 1.91 mg/L). However, the average concentrationsof total THMs (TTHMs) in groundwater (9.77 μg/L) were much higher than those in surface water (2.85 μg/L) andsimilar to those in urban drinking water samples (10.8 μg/L). Unlike urban water supply, rural water (particularlygroundwater) contained more brominated THM species such as dibromochloromethane (DBCM), suggesting itsrelatively high content of bromide ion (Br-). This study showed that rural water supplies have different THM formationcharacteristics from urban water supplies, probably due to their differences in source water quality properties.