Groundwater is used in many areas in food industry such as food manufacturing, food processing, cooking, and liquor industry etc. in Korea. As groundwater occupies a large portion of food industry, it is necessary to predict deterioration of water quality to ensure the safety of food water since using undrinkable groundwater has a ripple effect that can cause great harm or anxiety to food users. In this study, spatiotemporal data aggregation method was used in order to obtain spatially representative data, which enable prediction of groundwater quality change in a small watershed. In addition, a highly reliable predictive model was developed to estimate long-term changes in groundwater quality by applying a non-parametric segmented regression technique. Two pilot watersheds were selected where a large number of companies use groundwater for food water, and the appropriateness of the model was assessed by comparing the model-produced values with those obtained by actual measurements. The result of this study can contribute to establishing a customized food water management system utilizing big data that respond quickly, accurately, and pre-emptively to changes in groundwater quality and pollution. It is also expected to contribute to the improvement of food safety management.

Keywords: food processing water, groundwater, prediction model, segmented regression, data aggregation