The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Bureau of Waterworks has opened its water purification facilities to professionals from water-related organisations eager to learn about water management.
Visitors will be provided with an overview of operations at the city’s 10 plants, which together have a capacity of 6.9 million cubic metres daily and supply drinking water to 13.8 million people. They will be introduced to the technology used for water treatment and leak management.
Tokyo’s waterworks have a leakage rate of three per cent, one of the lowest rates in the world, compared to Sydney at nine per cent and Beijing at 10 per cent. The performance, improved from a leakage rate of 30 per cent about 70 years ago, is thanks to the adoption of corrosion-resistant stainless-steel pipes, as well as sensors and surveys that detect issues, which are resolved promptly. The pipes also feature earthquake-resistant joints that mitigate damage in the case of an earthquake.
Delegations from parts of Asia, Africa and Europe have joined learning visits to the Tokyo waterworks, including as part of cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to address Africa’s leakage rate of 40 to 50 per cent.
