Water Environmental
Management in Japan
09 Oct. 2009
Water Environment Division,
Environmental Management Bureau,
Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ)

Ⅰ. History of Water Management

Real GDP(Trillion Japanese Yen)

Law concerning Provisional
Measures for Conservation ofthe Environment of the Seto
Inland Sea

Law concerning Special
Measures for Conservation of
Lake Water Quality

Basic Law for Environmental
Pollution
Second Minamata disease

Amendment of WPC Law(for domestic effluent)

Amendment of WPC Law(for groundwater pollution )Establishment of the Environment Agency
Water Pollution Control Law,
The Japan World Exposition

Establishment of the Ministryof the Environment

BasicEnvironment
Law

Amendment of WPC Law(for total pollutant load control)
Red Tide in Lake Biwa
Red Tide in Seto Inland Sea

Tokyo Olympic Games
Income-doubling Program

GlobalEnvironment
IssuesWater Quality
Preservation Law
and Factory Effluent
Control Law

Water Environment
Conservation in
Enclosed Seas and Lake

Minamata
diseaseWater Pollution
Measures

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2001

After World War II(1945~)¾Heavy Industry and Processing Trade
Tendency to cause more pollutant
Pollution from :Heavy industry >> Light industry, Service industry
Production for processing trade>> Domestic demand

Polluted effluent directly poured into
the sea, 1960s

Polluted water around industrial area,
Dokai Bay, 1960s, Kyushu(City of Kitakyushu Website)1945~¾Pollution-related Disease
Minamata Disease, Niigata Minamata Disease
and Itai-itai Disease had damaged
the health of many people.
Minamata Disease is…
• A neurological syndrome causedby severe mercury poisoning• First discovered in Minamata city in
Kumamoto prefecture; officiallyidentified in 1956.
• The second outbreak of Minamata
disease occurred in Agano Riverbasin in Niigata prefecture in 1965.
(National Institute for Minamata DiseaseWebsite)1945~(cont.)¾Damage to the living environment
caused by water pollution
Offensive odor
Massive fish death
Water intake suspension, etc.

Polluted water with bubbles,1972, Tokyo

Polluted water withwastes, 1970, Tokyo(Tokyo MetropolitanGovernment Website)1945~(cont.)¾Challenges by local government
Prefectural governments with large industrial areas started
to establish ordinances.
Local governments (prefectures and cities) pushednational government to develop pollution prevention
policies.
■Pollution Prevention Ordinances■• Tokyo Metropolitan Government : 1949• Osaka Prefectural Government : 1950
• Kanagawa Prefectural Government : 1951
• Fukuoka Prefectural Government : 1955::

1958¾Urayasu Incident
Fishermen in Urayasu broke
into Honshu Pulp factory
located along the Edo Riverin Tokyo in 1958 after themassive fish death in Tokyo
Bay due to polluted
wastewater discharge fromthe factory.
(Urayasu City Website)¾Establishment of Water Quality Laws
zLaw Concerning Preservation of Public Water AreaszLaw Concerning Control of Factory Effluent

Water Quality Laws of 1958 enough?
y The public water area had to be designated to be applicable toLaw Concerning Control of Factory Effluent.
y Regulations to meet Water Quality Standards were not stringentenough.

d?
eneppahWhat

 Polluted areas had spread from large cities tothroughout nation.
 Pollution and facilities which discharged polluted wateror wastewater were varied.
 Pollution had worsen rapidly.

New Measures for water environment
conservation was needed1967
¾Establishment of The Basic Law forEnvironmental Pollution Control
To resolve fundamental pollution problems, extending
beyond direct control of pollution sources, throughsystematic and total administrative action.

1970¾Establishment of Water Pollution Control Law
zTook over two water quality laws
zUnified several regulations
zAll public water areas
zNational effluent standard
zDirect penal systemzAlmost all kind of industry

1971¾Establishment of Environment Agency
To enforce various pollution control laws and to coordinate
environmental policies executed by other administrations.

1972~¾AmendmentszAbsolute Liability System(1972)
zTotal Pollutant Load Control System(1978)
zRestrictions on Specified Percolated Water(1989)
zMeasures to be Taken in Case of an Accident(1989)
zPromotion of Measures for Domestic Wastewater (1990)

Ⅱ. Administration of Water Management
MHLW
Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare

Hydroelectric power(METI)

Johkasoh※(MOE・MLIT)
Water supply(MHLW)

Sewage system (MLIT)
Fishery
Aquaculture(MAFF)

Environment
QualityStandards(MOE)

prevention ofmarine pollution by ships(MOE・MLIT)※On-Site Treatment System of Domestic EffluentRiver management(MLIT)

Water resource development(MLIT)

Forest maintenance(MAFF)

MAFF
Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries
METI
Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry

Irrigation
Agricultural water(MAFF)
Industrial water supply(METI)

MLIT
Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure andTransport
MOE
Ministry of theEnvironment

Effluent restriction(MOE)

Restrictions on Permeation ofHarmful Substances(MOE)

Restrictions ofgroundwater withdrawal(MOE・METI)

Ⅲ. Outline of Measuresconcerning Water Environment Conservation¾Goals of the water environment conservation policy
Environmental Quality Standard for Water Pollution(health items, living environment items and DXNs)¾Measures concerning water environment conservation{ Wastewater regulation for factories &establishments (uniform regulation){ System to notify specified facilities{ Water quality monitoring (continuous monitoring,voluntary measurement by enterprises){ Measures for domestic effluent{ Measures for closed water areas

Structure
Goals

Measures for
closed waterareas
Measures fordomestic
wastewater

Johkaso

Water Quality Standard
Measures for factories
and establishments

Effluent Standard
Notification offacility installation
Monitoring ofwaste water

Sewerage

Construction

Seto Inland Sea
Lakes

Monitoring of
public water
qualityOn-siteInspection
Order Report
Pollution Control

Ariake Sea andYatsushiro Sea

Specific areas/Basic Plan & Control

Legal System concerning Water Environment Conservation
Environment Basic Law Establishment of Environmental Quality Standard[Implementation of concrete measures]- Measures Common to the Whole Country
Water Pollution Control Law
System to notify specified facilities, wastewater regulation common
common to the whole country, continuous monitoring of water quality,quality, total
pollutant load control for closed sea areas, measures for domestic
domestic effluent such as the designation of priority areas for domestic
domestic effluent
measures

Law concerning Special Measures against Dioxins (only the part relevant to water quality)
Establishment of environmental quality standards for water pollution
pollution (sediment), effluent control, system to notify specified facilities,facilities,
formulation of emission reduction plan, continuous monitoring of water quality (sediment)- Special Measures for Specified Water Areas
Law concerning Special Measures for the Conservation of Lake Water Quality
Basic Policy for the Conservation of Lake Water Quality, designation
designation of certain lakes (10 lakes such as Lake Biwa),Biwa), regulation based on thePlan for the Conservation of Lake Water Quality, implementation of projects, etc.

Law concerning Special Measures for the Conservation of the Environment of the Seto Inland Sea
Basic Plan for the Conservation of the Environment of the Seto Inland Sea, license system for the installation of specified facilities,facilities, NaturalSeashore Conservation Area System (notification of action and recommendation),recommendation), consideration for environmental conservation inreclamation

Law concerning Special Measures for the Rejuvenation of the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea
Basic Policy for the Rejuvenation of the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, Prefectural Plan for the Rejuvenation of the Ariake Sea andYatsushiro Sea, establishment of comprehensive survey assessment committee

Law concerning Special Measures for Water Quality Conservation at Water Resources Area in
Order to Prevent the Specified Difficulties in Water Utilization
This is to regulate the precursors (bio(bio-refractory organic substances) of disinfection byby-products in limited areas in order to prevent difficulties
arising from disinfection byproducts(chloroform,etc.)
thataregeneratedin
theunavoidablebyunavoidable process of chlorine disinfection for water service.
Basic policy: continuous monitoring (generative capacity for disinfection byby-products (trihalomethane(trihalomethane generative capacity))Designation of specific water areas, land areas and the formulation
formulation of a water quality conservation plan (with no designation record).
record).

Ⅳ. Environmental Quality Standard for Water Pollution
Water pollution
Toxic substance
Mercury, arsenic, chlorinatedorganic compound, etc.

Environmental Quality Standardfor Water Pollution

Effects on people(Drinking and seafood intake)

Health items

Effects on aquatic life

Organic pollution, etc.
The so called dirtiness andmuddiness of water
BOD/COD, DO, SS, etc.
Nutrient salts
Causative substances ofeutrophication
Nitrogen, phosphorus

Living environment
items“Living Environment”
Defined to include animals andplants with a close relation tohuman life, and their nativehabitat.

BOD/COD
One of the most fundamental forms of water pollution is oxygen depletion in water areas. A decrease in water oxygen
generates malodor and other difficulties such as aquatic life being unable to survive. For this reason, besides the directly
dissolved oxygen (DO), the oxygen demand (OD) that measures the oxygen consuming substance as an amount of oxygen isused. The oxygen demand includes the BOD, measured by means of microorganisms and the COD, measured by means ofchemical substances. The Environmental Quality Standard adopts the former for rivers and the latter for lakes and sea areas.

Items, Etc. of Environmental Quality Standard for Water Pollution

Living environment items

Health items

Item
Cadmium
Total cyanide
Lead
Hexavalent chromium
Arsenic
Total mercury
Alkylmercury
PCB
Dichloromethane
Carbon tetrachloride
1,2-dichloroethane
1,1-dichloroethylene
Cis-1,2-dichloroethylene
Item
BOD
COD-MnpHSSDO
Coliform bacteria countN-hexane extracts
Total nitrogen
Total phosphorous
All zincStandard Value
0.01 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.01 mg/L or less0.05 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.0005 mg/L or lessUndetected
Undetected
0.02 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.004 mg/L or less0.02 mg/L or less0.04 mg/L or lessRiver
≤ 1 - 10 mg/L
6.0 - 8.5
≤ 25 - 100 mg/L etc.
2-7.5 mg/L ≤≤ 50 - 5,000 MPN/100 mL≤ 0.03 mg/L

Item
1,1,1-trichloroethane
1,1,2-trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene
1,3-dichloropropene
ThiuramSimazine
Thiobencarb
BenzeneSelenium
Nitrate nitrogen & Nitrite nitrogen

FluorideBoron
Lake≤ 1 - 8 mg/L
6.0 - 8.5
≤ 1 - 15 mg/L etc.
2-7.5 mg/L ≤≤ 50 - 1,000 MPN/100 mL≤ 0.1 - 1 mg/L
≤ 0.005 - 0.1 mg/L
≤ 0.03 mg/L

Standard Value
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.03 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or less0.02 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
10 mg/L or less
0.8 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or lessSea Area
≤ 2 - 8 mg/L
7.0 - 8.3
2-7.5 mg/L ≤≤ 1,000 MPN/100 mL
Undetected.
≤ 0.2 - 1 mg/L
≤ 0.02 - 0.09 mg/L
≤ 0.01 - 0.02 mg/L

Regular Water Quality Monitoring
Public waters (river, lake, sea) about 9,000 spots throughout the country(environmental standards points, etc.) and the water quality in groundwater is monitored.

Government
ordinance city

Prefecture(Water quality measurement in thegovernment ordinance city) Water quality
measurement
 Results of water quality
measurements

 Understanding of the water qualitycharacteristics of water area
 Understanding of long‐term changes &water quality trends
 Early detection of water pollution

 Achievement & maintenance ofenvironmental standard for water quality
 Implementation of environmental protection
measures Response to water pollution incidents

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport(Water quality measurement of river, lake, sea
and underground water)(Water quality measurement of themain parts of first‐grade rivers)

Formulation of water quality measurement plan
Formulated in order to coordinate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure

Adjustment and Transport and government ordinance city and to effectively conduct

Consultation

 Water quality
measurement

Analysising

Samplingsult
resSendDistribution of water quality
measuring points in public
waters throughout thecountry

Health items: 5,600

Direction, notice, technical advice
required for the continuous
monitoring of water quality

Living environment
items: 8,545

DXNs water quality: 1,912
Sediment: 1,623

 Decision of Environmental Conservation
Measure Formulation of a Basic Environment Plan Environmental Quality Standards, effluent
control Analytical method, research method
 Transaction standards for continuousmonitoring, etc.
 Response to water pollution incident

Ministry ofEnvironment

Reporting the results‐ Response to a water pollution incident‐ Response to the excess of environmental quality standards or the water
areas that fails to achieve environmental quality standards

Number of measuring
points (FY2005)

Information disclosure White paper  Homepage  Results of water
quality measurement
Water environmental synthesis information site
http//www.env.go.jp/water/mizu.site/index.html

Summarizing the results of water quality measurement
Officialannouncement

tenmceunonnlaaicffi

O
Collection & analysis of water
quality data of the country anddatabase creation

Transition of the status of achievement ofenvironmental quality standards (BOD or COD)
10090

River 87.2%
Total 83.4

80

Sea area
76.0

70
Achievement Rate (%)

ingndSe

Obtainingwater‐ Health items (cadmium, all cyanogen, etc.)‐ Living environment items (BOD, COD, all zinc, etc. of aquatic lifeitem,)

results

continuous monitoring of water quality.

 Water quality measurement
 Results of water quality
measurements

60
Lake 53.4

50
40
30

Total20River
Lake10Sea area

0FY 1975 ’77 ’79 ’81 ’83 ’85 ’87 ’89
元 ’91 ’93 ’95 ’97 ’99 ’01 ’03 ’05

Ⅴ. Measures for Water Environment Conservation
Uniform National Effluent Standards (Concentration Regulation)
The effluent control of the Water Pollution Control Law establishes effluent
standards ,that is uniformly applied to all factories and establishment thathave specified facilities throughout the country.
The control is carried out using the so-called “direct penalty system”.
It means that penalties can be applied simply because of effluent standardviolation..
Factories &Establishments

The factories or establishments
which possess specified
facilities are called specified
establishments.

Public waters(Not possessing specified facilities)

Specifiedestablishments(Possessing specified
facilities)

Effluent（Non-applicable）
Effluent

UndergroundosmosisSpecified establishments discharge
sewage (effluent) to public waters.

Effluent standards of the Water
Pollution Control Law are applied
to the effluent.

Effluent Control
Applied Subject:
All the companies listed up in a law as “Specified factories”,
which is supposed to emit a large amount of water,
including chemical plant, metal refinement plant, sewage, hotel, and a cattle breeder.

NationalUniform effluent control enforced by the national government(minimum nationwide uniform control)
Health Items
Applicable to all Specified
factories

Living Environment Items
Applicable to Specified factories with aneffluent volume of 50 m3 or more per day

Stricter effluent control ispossible in prefectures
according to regional situations.

Local

Method of tightening control
More stringent prefectural effluent control

Setting lower standard values for effluent by ordinance in cases where uniform effluent
control does not work satisfactorily such as failure to achieve environmental quality standards

Broader prefectural control
Applicable to small business establishments with living environment items of less than 50 m3 per day

Discretionary prefectural control
Effluent control for items not included in uniform effluent control

Wastewater standards【Living environment item】【Health item】
Kinds of harmful substances
Cadmium and its compounds
Cyanide compounds
Organic compound (limited to parathion, methyl
parathion, methyl demeton and EPN(ethyl p-nitrophenyl phenylphosphorothioate))
phenylphosphorothioate))
Lead and its compounds
Hexavalent chromium compounds
Arsenics and its compounds
Mercury and alkyl mercury, and other mercury
compounds
Alkyl mercury compounds
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene
Dichloromethane
Carbon tetrachloride
1,21,2-dicholoroethane
1,11,1-dichloroethylene
ciscis-1,21,2-dichloroethylene
1,1,11,1,1-trichloroethane
1,1,21,1,2-trichloroethane
1,31,3-dichloropropene
ThiramSimazine
Thiobencarb
BenzeneSelenium and its compounds
Boron and its compounds
Fluorine and its compounds
Ammonia, ammonium compounds, nitritecompounds and nitrate compounds

Tolerable limit
0.1 mg/L
1 mg/L
1 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
0.5 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
0.005 mg/L
Not detected
0.003 mg/L
0.3 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
0.2 mg/L
0.02 mg/L
0.04 mg/L
0.2 mg/L
0.4 mg/L
3 mg/L0.06 mg/L
0.02 mg/L
0.06 mg/L
0.03 mg/L
0.2 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
Other than sea area: 10 mg/L
Sea area: 230 mg/L
Other than sea area: 8 mg/L
Sea area: 1 mg/L(*) 100 mg/L(*) 0.4 times the ammonia nitrogen compound, and the total of nitrite
nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen

Kinds of harmful substances

Tolerable limit

Hydrogen ion concentration (pH)

Other than sea area: 5.8 – 8.6
Sea area: 5.0 – 9.0.

Biochemical oxygen demand(BOD)

160 mg/L(Daily mean value: 120 mg/L)

Chemical oxygen demand (COD)

160 mg/L(Daily mean value: 120 mg/L)

Suspended solids (SS)

200 mg/L(Daily mean value: 150 mg/L)

NormalNormal-hexane extracts content(mineral oils content)

5 mg/L

NormalNormal-hexane extracts content(animal and plant fats content)

30 mg/LPhenols content

5 mg/L

Copper content

3 mg/L

Zinc content

2 mg/L

Soluble iron content

10 mg/L

Soluble manganese content

10 mg/L

Chromium content

2 mg/L

Coliform group number

Daily mean value: 3,000/cm3

Nitrogen content

120 mg/L(Daily mean value: 60 mg/L)

Phosphorus content

16 mg/L(Daily mean value: 8 mg/L)

Note
The effluent standard shown in this table is applicable to theeffluent water discharged by a plant, factory, or businessestablishment which discharges 50m3/day or more of effluent
water on daily average.

Object Facility of Effluent Control
Any facility that discharges polluted water or wastewater is defined as aspecified facility by the Water Pollution Control Law, and all factories orestablishments in which specified facilities are installed are stipulated as
the control subjects of Water Pollution Control Law.
Example :y Facilities to be used for mining, etc.
y Facilities devoted to stock raising, agriculture, etc.
y Facilities to be used for various types of food manufacturing, etc.
y Facilities to be used for forestry, etc.
y Facilities to be used for pulp manufacturing, etc.
y Facilities to be used for medical goods manufacturing, etc.
y Facilities to be used for cement products manufacturing, etc.
y Facilities to be used for steel or nonferrous metals
manufacturing and facilities to be used for other types ofmanufacturingy Hotel businesses, restaurants, laundry businesses, photographdevelopment businesses, hospitals, scientific and technologicalresearch facilities
y Waste disposal sites
y Final sewage treatment facilities, joint waste water treatment
plants,And so on…

As of the end ofFY2005,
approx. 290,000
establishments
arecontrol subjects

Uniform regulation for factories &establishments throughout the country

Common Measures (Water Pollution Control Law)
Ex-anteregulation

Notification of installation
or modification of specified
facilities

Plan modification
order

Penal
provision

On-site inspection & reportcollection

Improvement
order Suspension
order

Penal
provision

Effluent regulation

Penal provision

Prohibition of theunderground osmosis of
toxic substance

Cleanupmeasure order

Measurement & record ofeffluent

Normaltime
regulation

Emergency
Response

Water pollution from abnormal
drought, etc.

Emergency measure
order

Emergency measure &notification at the time of theaccident

Urgent measure order

Water quality monitoring of
public water areas, etc.

Prefecturalmonitoring plans

Penalprovision

Continuous
monitoring, publicannouncement, etc.

Penalties~Examples~• Intentional violation of Effluent Standards (Article 31)
Penal servitude not exceeding 6 months or fine not exceeding
500,000 yen• Non-observance of order for corrective action (Article 32)
Penal servitude not exceeding 1 year or fine not exceeding
1 million yen

On-site Inspection
If necessary for the enforcement of the Water Pollution Control Law, Prefecture can ask
factories and establishment to submit data about the status of specified facilities, thesewage treatment situation, etc., or check situation of factories and establishments byon-site inspection.
Check
Check ofof thethe situation
situation ofof
wastewater
wastewater route
route

Specified
Specifiedfacility,
facility,etc.
etc.
Specifiedfacility

Other facility{ Check for abnormalities & defects in thefacility{ Check the operational situation{ Check the storage of toxic substances{ Check oil storage facility, etc.

Wastewater
Wastewatertreatment
treatmentfacility
facility{ Check for abnormalities & defects in thetreatment facility{ Check the operational situation of thetreatment facility{ Check the sewage treatment situation{ Check the usage of chemicals{ Check the control equipment of thetreatment facility{ Check the management of the water quality
measuring devices, etc.

Check
Check between
between thethe actual
actual condition
condition andandcontents
contents ofof notifications
notifications

Drain
Drainoutlet
outlet{ Check the drain outlet situation and its
vicinity{ Take water samples etc.

Feedback of inspection &measurement results

Installation notifications, structure change, etc. notifications, etc.
Structure & operational method of
specified facilities{ Installation location, number, structure,material quality & capacity{ Material (raw material, auxiliary material,etc.){ Usage situation of toxic substances{ Situation of the discharge of sewage, etc.

Methods to treat sewage, etc.
{ Installation location, number, structure,material quality, capacity, the volume of thewater to be treated & treatment tank volume{ Treatment methods Etc.

Drainage system

Drainage outlet{ Contamination condition and the amount ofdrainage water{ Drainage volume for every drainage outlet{ Number & location of drainage outlets,
existence or non-existence of the change of adrainage destination, etc.

Ⅵ. Conservation in Enclosed Water Bodies
Specified sources of pollution

Unspecified sources of pollution

Lifestyle-related (sewers and other developments)
Business-related (effluent regulations)
Stockbreeding and fishery-related (effluent regulations,structural and usage regulations）

Agricultural, urban and natural(appropriate fertilization, rainwater
seepage, etc.)<External inflow>
Pollutant load from
specified sources of pollution

Pollutant load fromunspecified sources of pollutionEnclosed water bodies<Lakes and reservoirs>Internal industrial pollutant load
Accumulated pollutant load
Natural purification through conservation
and recovery activities around lakes
Dredging, aeration, water conveyance and other projects

Water
Water
qualityquality
DamageDamagetotodrinking
drinkingwater
water
supplysupplyBlessings
Blessingsofoflakes
lakesand
andreservoirs
reservoirs

Natural factors
Societal factors

Promotion of inspection and research activities

25

Total Pollution Load Control
Total pollution load
control should be inplace to reduce thepollution load in
enclosed waterbodies.