Water Supplier Warns: “Water Pipes with Advanced Corrosion Are Still Left Unattended” – Astonishing Internal Photographs to be Released
The road cave-in in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, could have happened anywhere--and it's not the first time it's happened.
Abnormalities in the water supply infrastructure
This is the inside of a water pipe that had been in use for around 40 years. It was originally a clean cavity, but a large amount of water stains and impurities have accumulated and corrosion has progressed. If left unattended, this can lead to water leakage and damage, resulting in major accidents.
Mr. A, who runs a water pipe maintenance business in Osaka City, confided with a sigh.
On January 28, a road in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, suddenly caved in. A 2-ton truck driven by a 74-year-old man fell into the hole, which was about 10 meters in diameter and 5 meters deep. The cause of the cave-in is believed to be a broken sewer pipe and water leakage.
About two weeks after this accident, water pipes were damaged one after another in Sakai and Mihara wards in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. Water was cut off, roads were closed, and other damage occurred. Mr. B, a former employee of the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau, pointed out the damage with a sharp tone of voice: “The service life of water pipes is 40 to 50 years.
The service life of a water pipe is said to be 40 to 50 years. Normally, they should be replaced with new ones before their service life is exceeded. But many of Osaka’s water pipes are left to deteriorate and corrode.”
Mr. B cited the decrease in the “distance of newly replaced water pipes” as an indicator that clearly shows the disastrous state of Osaka City.
Until about 10 years ago, this pace was maintained. However, in recent years, the pace has dropped to 40 to 60 km. According to the “Osaka City Waterworks Account Settlement for Fiscal Year Reiwa 2023,” the total distance of water pipes installed has dropped to about 45 km, nearly half of the original distance. That is how many battered water pipes remain.
The distance of the water pipes is not the only indicator of the seriousness of the situation. Mr. A laments, “The number of construction projects is also decreasing.
For example, in fiscal 2007, Osaka City placed about 90 orders to private contractors for the installation of water pipes. However, over the past few years, the number has been steadily declining, and in FY 2011, the number was down to 62. There are whispers among contractors and waterworks bureau officials that this is because the budget for the Osaka-Kansai Expo has been taken away. Some contractors are experiencing financial difficulties due to the decrease in the number of construction projects.
