Ⅰ. Background and Research Objectives
1. Background
o The era of new normal, marked by climate change, aged infrastructures, and pandemics, poses a substantial threat to the conventional linear urban water management system in the near future.
ㅇ Urban water management must undergo a transformative shift toward a more sustainable and resilient system.

2. Research objectives
o This study aims to introduce the concept of a ‘Water Circulation City’, and put forward policy measures for its implementation.
ㅇ In the second year (2023), the authors explore strategies to enhance the city’s water self-sufficiency by reusing urban water resources, while research focus in the previous year (2022) was restoring urban water circulation and harnessing sewage energy.

Ⅱ. Urban Water Issues
o In both developed and developing countries, urban growth and redevelopment lead to an overall increase in water demand.

o Over the past decade, Korean cities have increasingly relied on external water sources.
ㅇ While the water supply increased by 12.2% from 2012 to 2021, the import of raw and treated water from outside the municipality surged by 18.6%.

o Various research initiatives such as automated rainwater harvesting systems, membrane-based and low-energy reuse processes are actively underway.

o Public policy has broadened the legal mandates for water reuse and heightened support for voluntary installation of water reuse facilities.
ㅇIncentives for voluntary installation encompass green building certification, relaxation of building standards, tax reductions, support for installation cost, and