1

Damage to Drinking Water Systems

and Restoration Measures

after

the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

July 2011

The Japan Water Research Center

JWRC

22

Date and Time: 11 March 2011 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC)

Magnitude: 9.0 (interim value; the largest earthquake recorded in Japan)

Hypocenter:N38.1, E142.9 (130km ESE off Oshika Peninsula) Depth 24km

(interim value)

Mechanism:Reverse fault type with WNW-ESE compressional axis (by CMT

analysis)Earthquake Early

Warning:Issued 8.6 seconds after the detection of the first P-wave at the

nearest seismic station

JMA Seismic Intensity:

7 (Max) Kurihara City of Miyagi Prefecture

6+28 cities and towns (including Wakuya Town, Tome City, Osaki City, Natori City) in Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Tochigi Prefectures

6- or weaker Observed nationwide from Hokkaido to Kyushu

(Source)http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/2011_Earthquake.html

Summary of the Great East Japan Earthquake

33（Source)http://www.jishin.go.jp/main/oshirase/201103111446sanriku-oki.gif

←Hypocenter

JMA Seismic Intensity of the Great East Japan Earthquake

←Hypocenter

Upper

Lower

Upper

Lower

(Note) JMA : Japan Meteorological Agency

JMA Seismic Intensity

44

Major Pattern of Damage to Drinking Water

Systems by the Great East Japan Earthquake

☑Earthquake damage only (Inland area)

☑ Damage due to both earthquake and tsunami

(Northeastern coast area)

☑ Damage due to liquefaction (Reclaimed land)

☑ Adverse effect by the Fukushima No 1 nuclear

power plant accident

55

Water Outage by the Earthquake & Tsunami

and

Restoration of Water Supply

66

Water Outage by the Great East Japan Earthquake

and Restoration of Water Supply

（Source)http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/2011eq/dl/damage_situation_110511.pdf

77

Note : The water supply recovered early during a month after the Earthquake in

the areas not affected by tsunami while it has still been suspended in the

most tsunami-affected areas.

Water outage due to the Great East Japan Earthquakewith Tsunami in Iwate Prefecture

01,0002,0003,0004,0005,0006,0007,0008,0009,000

10,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,00016,00017,000

March

13,

2011

March

20,

2011

March

27,

2011

April 3, 2

011

April 10, 201

1

April 17, 201

1

April 24, 201

1

May

1, 2

011

May

8, 2

011

May

15,

2011

May

22,

2011

May

29,

2011

June

5, 2

011

June

12,

2011

June

19,

2011

Num

ber

of

houseconnecti

ons w

ithout

wate

rOfunato CityRikuzentakada CityKamaishi CityOtsuchi TownMiyako CityYamada Town

8

Water outage due to the Great East Japan Earthquakewithout Tsunami in Iwate Prefecture

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

March

13,

2011

March

15,

2011

March

17,

2011

March

19,

2011

March

21,

2011

March

23,

2011

March

25,

2011

March

27,

2011

March

29,

2011

March

31,

2011

April 2, 2

011

April 4, 2

011

April 6, 2

011

April 8, 2

011

April 10, 201

1

April 12, 201

1

April 14, 201

1

April 16, 201

1

April 18, 201

1

April 20, 201

1

April 22, 201

1

April 24, 201

1

April 26, 201

1

Num

ber

of

houseconnecit

ons w

ithout

wate

rMorioka CityOshu CityIchinoseki CityKuji City

Note : Depending on the areas, the water supply was recovered about ten days after the

Earthquake. An aftershock on April 7 left some areas without water supplies.

Aftershock of April 7

99

Typical Cases of Damage to

Drinking Water Systems

1010

Damage due to Tsunami to Takekoma Treatment Plant of Rikuzentakada City

Note : The water source of Takekoma TP is shallow wells which were possibly

salinized and contaminated by various substances.

1111

Damage to No.2 Sukedukuri Intake Facility in Minamisanriku Town

Note : The water source of No.2 Sukedukuri Intake facility is shallow wells

which were possibly salinized.

12

Damage due to Liquefaction at the Wanigawa WPP

in Ibaraki Prefecture

12http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/kigyou/wanigawa230416.pdf

13

Setup of the Special Headquarters on Emergency Supply and

Restoration in the Affected areas in March 2011

Member organizations

Special HQ

Ministry of Health,

Labour and WelfareJapan Water

Works Association

All Japan Water Supply Works Union

All-Japan Prefectural and Municipal

Workers UnionJapan Small

Scale Water Works Association

Federation of

Japan Water

Industries, Inc.

Japan Pumping Heating

and Airconditioning Constructor’s Association

Japan Water Research Center

1414

JWRC’s Activities for Restoration &

Reconstruction of Drinking Water Systems

Fact Findings Emergency

Response

Proposal for

Recovery and

Reconstruction

Scientific

Research

for the Future

1515

Fact Findings ＆ Response Activities

by the JWRC

* Formation of JWRC’s Supporting Team for Drinking Water Purification Technology

* Gathering & Providing Information on the Great East Japan Earthquake

* Site Survey by the Supporting Team Members to Damaged Areas

* Research Activities on Earthquake Vulnerability Assessment

* Proposal on Future Plan of Drinking Water Systems

1616http://www.jwrc-net.or.jp/aswin/en/projects-activities/earthquake.html

JWRC