As a countermeasure against PFAS, which contains chemical substances that have been pointed out as harmful in some cases, Musashino City, Tokyo, has decided to install a new water purifier in a disaster well where values exceeding the provisional national target values are detected.
In June, Musashino City examined PFAS values at wells at 6 elementary and junior high schools in the city that serve as evacuation centers in the event of a disaster, which are also intended to be used as drinking water, and found values exceeding the provisional national standards in seven of these wells.
In response to this, the city submitted a supplementary budget proposal that included related expenses to the City Council during its opening session to install water purifiers to remove PFAS in all wells at 18 schools, and it was approved at the plenary meeting on the 7th.
According to the city, none of the water from these wells has ever been used as drinking water, but they hope to complete the installation of water purifiers as soon as possible.
Tokyo Chofu City to conduct its own water quality survey
Chofu City, Tokyo, plans to conduct its own water quality surveys of 30 disaster wells in elementary schools and parks in the city and 85 private wells for those who wish to do so.
Most of these wells are not intended to be used as drinking water, but the city says it is to make sure they are safe.
A supplementary budget bill incorporating related expenses has been submitted to the current city council and is scheduled to be voted on on the 25th of next week, and the city hopes to proceed with the investigation sequentially as soon as it is passed, and to announce some of the survey results in February at the beginning of the year.