Water Quality Management andJapanese Legal Frameworks for Johkasou
September 27, 2016

Kosuke INOUE
Section Head, Office for Promotion of Johkasou
Waste Management and Recycling Department
Ministry of the Environment
JAPAN
Ministry of the Environment1

Outline

1. Japanese Water Quality Management
2. Japanese Legal Frameworks for Johkasou
3. Conclusion2

Outline

1. Japanese Water Quality Management
2. Japanese Legal Frameworks for Johkasou
3. Conclusion

3

Population Increase, Urbanization and Economic Growth100

50,000120 000
80100 000
6080 000
60 0004040 000
2020 000

001950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

GDP per Capita (current USD)

140 000

Economic Growth

Percentage(%)

Total Population (thousands perons)

Population Increase andUrbanization

40,00030,00020,00010,00001960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2010

Year

Total Population in Japan
Percentage of Population inUrban Area of JapanYear

GDP per Capita of Japan(current USD)
4

Water Pollution of Tokyo in 1970’s

Tokyo BayA river in Tokyo

The Kanda River(Tokyo)

Photo Credit : Environmental Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government 5

Water Quality Standard in Japan(Public water areas)

Living environment items

RiverLake

Sea AreaBOD

 1 - 10 mg/L--COD-

 1 - 8 mg/L

 2 - 8 mg/L

pH

6.0 - 8.5

6.0 - 8.5

7.0 - 8.3

SS

 25 - 100 mg/L etc.

 1 - 15 mg/L etc.

-DO2-7.5 mg/L 2-7.5 mg/L 2-7.5 mg/L 

Coliform bacteriacount 50 - 5,000 MPN/100 mL

 50 - 1,000 MPN/100 mL

 1,000 MPN/100 mL

N-hexane extracts--Undetected.

Total nitrogen- 0.1 - 1 mg/L

 0.2 - 1 mg/L

Total phosphorous-

 0.005 - 0.1 mg/L

 0.02 - 0.09 mg/L

 0.03 mg/L

 0.03 mg/L

 0.01 - 0.02 mg/L

 0.0006～0.002mg/L

 0.0006～0.002mg/L

 0.0007～0.001mg/L

 0.02～0.05mg/L

 0.02～0.05mg/L

 0.006～0.01mg/L

All zincNonyl phenol
LAS

6Framework for Water Quality Management in Japan
Environmental Quality Standard【Environment Basic Law 】

National
government

・Effluent Water Quality Standard

National
government【Water Pollution Control Law】

Uniform Standards for Japan
Measures for
Industrial
Wastewater
Treatment

・More Stringent Effluent Standards 【Water Pollution Control Law】
・Regulations for Private Industries 【Water Pollution Control Law】
Notification ,Measurement and record ofLocal government(Prefecture)pollution status of effluent, On-site inspections→Penalty, Order for remedial action, other administrative directions
・Investment to pollution control
・Development of human capacities

Measures forDomesticWastewater
Treatment

etc.

・Sewerage treatment facilities 【Sewerage Law 】
・Johkasou facilities 【Johkasou Law】 etc.
Subsidy system
System of maintenance

Privatecompany
・National government
・Local government
・Individual7

Outline

1. Japanese Water Quality Management
2. Japanese Legal Frameworks for Johkasou
3. Conclusion

8

Domestic Wastewater Treatment System in Japanese Laws
 Black & gray water treatment, including on-site treatment, effective collection,and sludge processing
Domestic Wastewater
Treatment Plan 【Municipal】(Structure）

Vacuum car(O&M）(Desludging）

・Effective and sanitarytransportation of night soil
and sludge

Treatment
Facility(Transport）(Effluent）
BOD20mg/L and less

Building Standard Law

Johkasou Law

Waste Management andPublic Cleansing Law

OUTLET

INLET(Uniform standards for effluent water）
BOD 120mg/L and less⇒more than 501 persons 【Large scale Johkasou】
KUBOTA KM-SG-NP型

Water Pollution Control Law

9Summary of Johkasou Law
The Purpose of Johkasou Law
Promotion of human waste and gray water treatment by Johkasoufor;- Conservation of water quality in public water area,- Preservation of the living environment and- Improvement of public health⇒Articles in the Law①Johkasou installation（※related to “Building Standard Law”）②Operation/maintenance of Johkasou③Approval of Johkasou models④Johkasou business for Installation and Operation/Maintenance⑤Nationally qualified “Johkasou technicians”⑥Miscellaneous and penalties
10Installation of Johkasou
 Notification
 Notification to the prefectural
governor etc.
 To understand a new installationor any change in the structure orsize
 Confirmation of any problems interms of the structure and O&M

11 Installation
 Johkasou shall be constructed by aJohkasou installation vendor registeredby the prefectural governor (effective forfive years; Accredited by the government) Complying with the “Technical Standards
for Johkasou construction” (17 items)
 Supervised by a certified Johkasou
Installation worker

 Johkasou installation management method
 Lecture text for a certified Johkasou
Installation worker
 Summarized according to technicalstandards
 Contents
 Construction method Description of equipment andmaterials
 Improvement method
11Subsidy System for Johkasou Installation
Johkasou Installation Promotion Program (1987 to …)
Users’ burden(6/10

Municipal expenditure(4/1560%Nationalexpenditure(2/15)

40%

Municipal Johkasou Installation Program （1994 to …）
Users’burden(1/10)

Municipal expenditure(17/30National expenditure(10/30)90%

10%Subsidized rate

40 % (Private Johkasou installation)
90 % (Municipal Johkasou installation)
12

Operation & Maintenance of Johkasou System in Japan• To properly function and deliver its expected performance, the Johkasou owner has
a statutory obligation to periodically conduct maintenance and ensure that sludge isregularly collected.
• However, Johkasou owners do not have sufficient knowledge for O&M.
↦ this work is mainly entrusted to Johkasou maintenance vendors and desludging
vendors.
• Another statutory obligation requires that Johkasou receives annual inspection toconfirm that:
1. Desludging was correctly executed
Residents and Businesses
Or Municipalities
2. The unit is performing as designed
3. Water quality is meeting standards(Request)

Johkasou manager (owner)

Framework of Johkasou
ManagementInspection

Specified inspection
agencyAdvice andrecommendation
to managers
by prefecturalgovernor(Entrusted)
MaintenanceJohkasou maintenancevendor(Technical supervisor)(Entrusted)
Desludging

Johkasou desludging
vendorTechnicians
and Private businesses to support Johkasou O&M
・民間業者

13

Details of Operation and Maintenanceinspection after construction

Annual inspection

Legal inspection

Legal inspection1414

Treatment Performance of Johkasou
BOD<60mg

For applicable maintenance doing, 838,349unites(85.0%) ofJohkasou is BOD<20mg/l
 generality Johkasou
performance is equivalent tosewerage treatment system

BOD>60mg

BOD<30mg
BOD<20mg

BOD<5mg

BOD<15mg

BOD<10mg※By Johkasou administrative organization research in 2013
・Johkasou structural standard is BOD<20mg/L, 986,643 units
・Inspection result of legal inspection in 201315

Outsourcing System for Johkasou Installation andManagement
Installation

Johkasouconstruction
business

29,952companies

Inspection after installation

Designatedinspection
agency65
institutions

Operation/MaintenanceJohkasoumaintenancebusiness

12,500companies

Desludging

Johkasoudesludging
business

5,193
companies

Annual inspection

Designatedinspection
agency65
institutions
16Human Resource Development for Johkasou• Johkasou technicians should be equipped with extensive knowledge on not only
wastewater treatment/Johkasou, but also water environment conservation andpublic health.
• Curriculums for Johkasou operator and Johkasou installation worker are as shown
below
Johkasou operator







Fundamental of Johkasou
Laws and regulations related with Johkasou
Structure and function of Johkasou
Introduction to installation of Johkasou
Operation and maintenance of Johkasou
Water quality management of Johkasou
Introduction to desludging of Johkasou
Total

Johkasou installation worker
8H4H
22 H
4 H
30 H
10 H
2 H
80 Hours

 Fundamental of Johkasou
H Laws and regulations related with Johkasou
H Structure and function of Johkasou
H Management of Johkasou installation
H Introduction to O&M and desludging of Johkasou
HTotal83
158
337 Hours

17Outline

1. Japanese Water Quality Management
2. Japanese Legal Frameworks for Johkasou
3. Conclusion

18

Conclusion• Johkasou system is an effective approach for water
quality management.
• The detect function of Johkasou is normallydemonstrated by proper installation and operation.
• The important points for proper installation andoperation are not only regulations but also
governmental support in the respect oftechnological standardization, financing andoutsourcing, curriculums.
19Thank you for your attention

Oirase Keiryu (Aomori)