Urbanization andWater Quality Controlin Japan
Shu Nishi
Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Contents
1. History of Water Management
2. Outline of Measures
3. Water Quality Controlwith Suitable Wastewater Treatment
4. Spread of Sewage System

1. History of Water Management
Water Pollution of Tokyo in 1970’s
Tokyo Bay in 1970’s

A river of Tokyoin 1970’s

The Kanda river(Tokyo) in 1970’s

Photo Credit : Environmental Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentHeavy 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)Pollution-related Disease

Minamata Disease, Niigata Minamata Disease and
Itai-itai Disease had damaged the health of manypeople.

(National Institute for Minamata DiseaseWebsite)

Minamata Disease is…
 A neurological syndromecaused by severe mercury
poisoning First discovered in Minamata
city in Kumamoto prefecture;
officially identified in 1956.
 The second outbreak of
Minamata disease occurred in
Agano River basin in Niigata
prefecture in 1965.

Challenges by local government
Prefectural governments with large industrial areas started
to establish ordinances.
■Pollution Prevention Ordinances■
 Tokyo Metropolitan Government : 1949
 Osaka Prefectural Government : 1950
 Kanagawa Prefectural Government : 1951
 Fukuoka Prefectural Government : 1955

Central government established the laws in 1958
Two Water Quality Laws
zLaw Concerning Preservation of Public Water
Areas
zLaw Concerning Control of Factory Effluent

Water Quality Laws of 1958 is not enoughy 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.

ed?
neppahtWha

 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

The Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control
To resolve fundamental pollution problems, extending
beyond direct control of pollution sources, throughsystematic and total administrative action.

1970
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

2. Outline of Measures concerning
Water Environment Conservation
Goals of the water environment conservation policy
Environmental Quality Standard for Water Pollution(health items, living environment items and DXNs)

Measures 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 waste water{ Measures for closed water areas

Structure
Goals

Measures fordomesticwastewater
Measures for
closed waterareas
Johkaso

Water Quality Standard
Measures for factories
and establishments

Effluent Standard
Notification offacility installation
Monitoring ofwaste water

Sewerage

Construction

Monitoring of
public water
qualityOn-siteInspection
Order Report
Pollution Control

Seto Inland Sea
Ariake Sea andYatsushiro Sea
Lakes
Specific areas/Basic Plan &Control

Administration
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)

3. Water Quality Control with
Suitable wastewater treatment
Water Pollution caused by Urbanization andindustrialization
Water Quality Control
 With proper wastewater treatment

and management in a city
Role sharing between
Centralization and Decentralization system

Comparison
Sewerage treatment system

Johkasou (Domesticwastewater treatment)

Function

Wastewater treatment andPrevention of inundation

Wastewater treatment

ObjectTreating wastewatercollectively

Treating wastewater
individually

Suitable area

Urban area

Area of scatteredpopulation

AdministratorMunicipality

Individual or
Municipality

Useful life legalof facility

Treatment plant : 23 years
Piping system : 50 years

7 years

pastresults

Treatment plant : 15-70 years main body : over 30
Piping system : 50-120 years years
equipment : 7-15 years

Treatment Methods of Domestic Effluent andtheir Prevalence Rate%(Ministry of the Environment)(Ministry of the Environment)(Ministry ofAgriculture,Forestry andFisheries)(Ministry of Land,Infrastructure and Transport)

Development of Sewage Works of Tokyo

Source: Sewerage Bureau of Tokyo Metropolitan
Government

Investment of Sewage Works

4. How to spread the Sewerage systemin Japan?
The Issue:a. Lack of Public’s knowledge
b. Shortfall of Financial resources
c. Shortage of Engineer
The Approach:d. Development of legal systeme. Financial resources

a. Lack of Public’s knowledge○In 1870s, Spread of Cholera○In 1950s, Water pollution in rivers and the public water
bodies became prominent, and environmental pollution
became a serious concern.

Necessity of sanitary facility was recognized
National Government and Municipality inform thenecessity of Sewerage system through Educationand Public relations
Basic of the Sanitation> Water Supply> Sewerage System> Cleanup the Waste

b. Shortfall of Financial resources
It is very hard to gain the profit through the sewerage works
Public responsibility for development infrastructure as
National Minimum.
The Sewerage System has the great effects on the Nationalpower, because it improves the Sanitary Condition and
Productive capacity.
The role of the Sewerage System is mainly to play publicbenefit and public purpose (Improvement of the living
environment, conserve the water quality of public water body)

Incentives and Resources are necessary

National Government established asustainable financial base by the Law> Subsidy System> Local Bond
> Payment by beneficiary> Usage fee
At first, the Financial Regulations (Subsidy system and FeeCollection, etc.) were lacked in the Sewerage Law of Japan,
so local governments were in financial distress and they
could not construct the Sewage system.

c. Shortage of Engineer
Lack of engineers in Local government
National government makethe Technical Guidelines
National government and Local
government set up the Japan Sewage
Works Agency (JS)Japan Sewage Works Agency (JS)> Technical Support as the dispatch of Engineer> Construction of the Core Facilities> Conduct the Training> Technical Development, Technical assessment

d. Development of Legal system
To enforce the development of sewerage system
Regulation and Control by National Government is important
Development of the legal system
Regulation, Control, System of approval,
Right of Inspection, Right of Fee Collection

It is important to clear the following points by development oflegal system.
>To clarify the Responsibility / Role-sharing
National Government, Municipality, Public (Land owner, House owner)> To set up the regulation as Technical Criteria> To set up the regulation about the usage of sewage systemDuty of setting Drainage facilities
Duty of connecting to the Sewage system
Duty of setting Equipment for safety disposal>To limit the obstacle activities>To establish the system of CheckIt is important to clear the following points by development oflegal system.
>To set up the system of the usage fee and the payment by
beneficiary>To set up the Subsidy system, free loan and transfer of thegovernment-owned lande. Financial Resources- Construction and Management Cost To construct and manage the sewerage system continuously,
huge cost and long term is necessaryIt is very important to establish a sustainablefinancial base
In Japan, Sewerage fee is not enough to cover all
administration cost (construction and O&M )For construction, National government subsidy and Localbond is necessary.
Money transferred from General account is necessary to
make up the lack of sewerage fee

Breakdown of resources 1/2

Breakdown of resources 2/2
Administration cost
Management Cost

outcomeRefund ofLocal bonds

Managementcost

Personnel cost
Consignment cost
Repair costincomeElectric power cost

Money transferredfrom General accountSewerage
FeeSludge disposal cost
Chemical cost
Cleaning costAbout 70% of the Administration
cost is Refund of Local bonds.
About 60% of the Administration
cost is financed by the Sewerage
Fee.

OtherSubsidy System
Public responsibility for development infrastructure asNational Minimum.
The Sewage System has the great effects on the National
power, because it improves the Sanitary Condition andProductive capacity.
The role of the Sewage System is mainly to play public benefit
and public purpose (Improvement of the living environment,
conserve the water quality of public water body)

So National Government established the Subsidy system
to develop and spread the sewage system.Local Bond
Sewage works is not a business so local bond is issued bya low interest rate

Payment by beneficiary
Give back some of the asset value of land that is improvedby the Sewage system

Usage FeePay a cost according to the Polluter–pays principle (PPP)Japan have a long history with the Water Environment.
The Water Environment is linked very closely to the Lifestyle
and Culture in Japan.

Thank you for your attention