Support Activities by Japan Water Agency
In addition to regular routine activities related to the appropriate water supply through our facilities like dams, reservoirs and canals, etc. the Japan Water Agency (JWA) is proactively engaged in various water-supply related support activities. In this column, we would like to elaborate on those support activities we, JWA do on water supply during and immediately after the disasters or similar events.
Portable water purification unit
The Japan Water Agency has the responsibility for the supply of safe and quality water to the water users even during an extraordinary drought, an earthquake and a flooding. As one of the means to fulfill the responsibility, we have the portable water purification units which make pure water which clears the stipulated water quality standards in Japan from different kinds of raw water such as natural seawater.
Some of the examples of our dedication to the security of water supply between 2011 and 2018 include the purified water supply to the residents of the remote islands where the water resources were at the risk of dry-up and at the earthquake-hit areas where water distribution system was damaged and turbid water was mixed with the clear water.
What is the portable water purification unit?
The portable water purification unit is the equipment which generates purified fresh water through the installed membrane which has micro-apertures out of seawater. One of the main features of our units is the advanced mobility.
Pressed raw water such as seawater goes through ultrafiltration membrane and reverse osmosis membrane thanks to the higher pressure than normal osmosis pressure. Through the process, ion-level material is removed and only pure water molecules penetrate the membrane to generate the satisfactory level of water, i.e. meeting the water quality standards for drinking water.
Water purification mechanism
Types of membrane and removable objects
Specifications of the portable water purification unit deployed at the JWA
Portable water purification unit No.1
- Storage
- at Aichi Canal Integrated Operation and Maintenance Office
- Capacity
- 35m³/day
- Process method
- double-stage reverse osmosis membrane method
- Pretreatment method
- sand filtration method
- Standard (weight)
- Pretreatment:1.2m×2.2m×2.0m(approx.1.0t)
- Body:1.5m×4.5m×2.0m(approx. 2.4t)
- Transport method
- one 8t unique vehicle with 2.9t crane & 2.4t trucks
Portable water purification unit No.2
- Storage
- at Tone Canal Management and Construction Office
- Capacity
- 50m³/day
- Process method
- one-stage reverse osmosis membrane method (high boron removal)
- Pretreatment method
- ultrafiltration membrane method
- Standard (weight)
- Pretreatment:1.9m×2.3m×1.8m(approx. 1.25t)
- Body:2.0m×1.9m×1.6m(approx. 1.68t)
- Transport method
- 2 units of 8t unique vehicle with 2.9t crane
Water supply support activities performed in the past
- Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Pref. (from 14 March, 2011 to 22 March, 2011 for 9 days)
- Ogasawara Village (Island), Tokyo (from 16 July, 2011 to 26 August, 2011 for 41 days)
- Eshima, Onagawa Town, Miyagi Pref. (from 26 September, 2011 to 19 March, 2013 for 541 days)
- Yamato Town, Kumamoto Pref. (from 22 April, 2016 to 24 April, 2016 for 3 days)
- Toshima Village (Island), Tokyo (from 8 June, 2016 to 11 July, 2016 for 34 days)
- Ogasawara Village (Island), Tokyo (from 18 February, 2017 to 22 May, 2017 for 94 days)
- Ainoshima, Shingu Town, Fukuoka Pref. (from 18 February, 2018 to 19 March, 2018 for 30 days)
- Mihara City, Hiroshima Pref. (from 15 July, 2018 to 22 July, 2018 for 8 days)
Pumper truck
What is a pumper truck?
A pumper truck is a vehicle which is first mobilized to the site that requires the water supply in place of the agricultural pumping facility which unfortunately cannot work due to the disaster or a place where drainage is required due to the disaster. For quick and efficient jump start, a power generator, a pump, and some hoses are equipped on the truck.
Large-size vehicle with 60m³/min pumping unit
Mid-size 8t vehicle with 30m³/min pumping unit
Locations of pumper trucks
A pumper truck (60m³/min)
- Kanto Region
- one unit at Tone Canal Management and Construction Office
- Chubu Region
- one unit at Aichi Canal Integrated Operation and Maintenance Office
- Yoshino River/Chikugo River Region
- one unit at Chikugogawa Karyu Canal
A pumper truck (30m³/m)
- Kanto Region
- one unit at Chiba Canal Integrated Operation and Maintenance Office
- Chubu Region
- one unit at Toyogawa Canal management and Construction Office
- Yoshino River/Chikugo River Region
- one unit at Kagawa Canal Operation and maintenance Office
An example of drainage support activity by a pumper truck
Oyama City, Tochigi Pref. at the time of Toso Water Supply Authority Kanto/Tohoku torrential rain (Sep 2015)
Drainage work in process by JWA staff at a pump station
Toso Water Supply Authority
Great East Japan Earthquake (Mar 2011)
A pumper truck being prepared for operation
A package of pumping system
What is a package of pumping system?
A package of pumping system consists of 2 pieces of submersible motor pumps with a capacity of 5m3/min, 4 pieces of 25 meter hoses, control board of submersible pumps and power supply, a 45kVA power generator and its accessories. It is loaded on a 8t truck with a 2.9t crane and is mobilized.
Location of a package of pumping system
A package of pumping system (10m³/min)
- Kanto Region
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- 2 boxes at Tone Canal Management and Construction Office
- 2 boxes at Kasumigaura Canal Operation and Maintenance Office
- 2 boxes at Gunma Canal Operation and Maintenance Office
- Chubu Region
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- 2 boxes at Aichi Canal Integrated Operation and Maintenance Office
- 2 boxes at Mie Canal Operation and Maintenance Office
- 2 boxes at Kisogawa Canal Integrated Operation and Maintenance Office
- Yoshino River/Chikugo River Region
-
- 2 boxes at Chikugogawa-karyu Canal
- 2 boxes at Kagawa Canal Operation and Maintenance Office
- 2 boxes at Ryochiku Heiya Canal Management and Construction Office
An example of drainage support activities with a package of pumping system
Water leakage at Mishima Dam, Chiba Pref. on 23 May, 2018
The water leakage incident occurred at the Mishima Dam in Chiba Prefecture on 23 May, 2018. Since the Japan Water Agency received the request from Chiba Prefectural Government to support the drainage activity at the reservoir, we dispatched 8 staff members and 2 units of package of pumping system to the site and they completed the set-up of the pumping system. The actual drainage work with the installed pumping system was conducted by the staff of Chiba Prefectural Government from 23 May, 2018.
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