Overview of Water Quality
Conservation Measures for
Enclosed Water Bodies in Japan
Shunji Watanabe, Deputy Director
Water Environment Management Division,
Environmental Management Bureau,
Ministry of the Environment
1
I. Water Pollution in Enclosed Water Bodies and Corresponding Measures (Basic Concept)
Unspecified sources of pollution
Specified sources of pollution
Agricultural, urban and natural
(appropriate fertilization, rainwater
seepage, etc.)
Lifestyle-related (sewers and other developments)
Business-related (effluent regulations)
Stockbreeding and fishery-related (effluent regulations,
structural and usage regulations）
<External inflow>
Pollutant load from
specified sources of pollution
Pollutant load from
unspecified sources of pollution
Damage to drinking water
Damage to drinking water
supply
supply
Blessings of lakes and
Blessings of lakes and
reservoirs
reservoirs
Enclosed water bodies
<Lakes and reservoirs>
Internal industrial pollutant load
Accumulated pollutant load
Natural purification through conservation
and recovery activities around lakes
Dredging, aeration, water conveyance and other projects
Water
Water
quality
quality
Natural factors
Societal factors
Promotion of inspection and research activities
2
II. Structure of Law Concerning Special Measures for Conservation of Water Quality of
Enclosed Water Bodies
Provides special measures directed at designated lakes and reservoirs in addition to the regulations of the Water Pollution Control Law
Basic policy for conservation of water quality of enclosed water bodies based on cabinet decision (targeting enclosed water bodies in general)
Designated lakes and reservoirs decided by cabinet at request of prefectural governors
(10 enclosed water bodies including Lake Biwa and Lake Kasumigaura made designated lakes and reservoirs)
"Water Quality Conservation Plan" for each designated lake and reservoir
Prefectures formulate plans which are subject to approval by the Minister of the Environment
after deliberation at the Conference on Environmental Pollution Control
Regulatory standards for pollutant load
In addition to regulation of emission concentration
as per the Water Pollution Control Law,
restricts daily pollutant load
Project implementation
Sewage system and septic tank maintenance, dredging, etc.
Designation of lake conservation zones
Conservation of lake area plants possessing purification
Capabilities (action notification system for lake zones)
Structural and usage regulations on small-scale
stockbreeding and fishery operations inside water
bodies
Designation of effluent water control zones
Emphasis on measures targeting surface water
Instruction and advice for persons from facilities
other than those being regulated
Total volume control (if necessary)
3
III. Pollutant Load Ratio (Lake Biwa: COD)
H2
29%
8%
10% 3%
58,923 kg/
Day
38,396 kg/
Day
H17
18%
31%
37%
19%
10%
18%
生活系
産業系
畜産系
Domestic
Industrial
Stock
農地系
Agricultural
市街地系
自然系
Urban
Natural
4%
12%
4
1. Plant and Operation Site Drainage Measures
Scope of Regulations
New construction and expansion
Equal to or
more than the
value defined
in expanded
standards
Less than the
value defined
in expanded
standards
50
m3/day
Equal to or
more than the
value defined
in expanded
standards
Less than the
value defined
in expanded
standards
Load regulation
Concentration
regulation
Concentration
regulation
No
regulations
Concentration
regulation
Concentration
regulation
No
regulations
Deemed
specified
facility*1
Load regulation
Concentration
regulation
Concentration
regulation
No
regulations
Concentration
regulation
Concentration
regulation
No
regulations
Facilities not covered
by
Law Concerning
Special Measures for
Conservation of
Water Quality of
Lakes and Marshes*2
Concentration
regulation
Concentration
regulation
No
regulations
Concentration
regulation
Concentration
regulation
No
regulations
50 m3/day
or more
Specified
facility
Existing facilities
Blue indicates where the new load regulations of the amended law come in
*1 Kitchen facilities, cleaning facilities, septic tanks (for between 201 and 500 people) for hospitals (with between 120 and 299
beds)
*2 Sewage treatment facilities, night soil treatment plant installed by local authorities, facilities related to maintenance
projects performed on drainage facilities for agricultural communities (human waste treatment facilities only)
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Policy on Regulatory Standards for Pollutant Load
Ｃ（濃度）
1. Newly
constructed
operation sites
濃度規制に対し、負荷量規制
により削減される汚濁負荷量
(Concentration)
排水基準
Cut load by regulation
standard C0
C=a*Qb-1
排出水量がQxのとき
の許容汚濁負荷量
a*Qxb
Permitted load in case of Qx
Qx
65
Q（排出水量）Quantity
Ｃ（濃度）
2. Existing
operation sites
(Concentration)
負荷量規制により削減される
汚濁負荷量 Cut load by regulation
C=a0*Q0b0-1
C0
C=a*Qb-1
a0*Q０b0
65
Ｃ（濃度）
3. Wastewater
treatment
facilities
(Concentration)
a*Qxb-1*(Qx-Q０)
Ｑ０
Qx
Approximate emissions at
the time of enforcement
of regulatory standards
Quantity
Q（排出水量）
負荷量規制により削減される
汚濁負荷量 Cut load by regulation
C0
C=C0*d
排出水量がQxのとき
の許容汚濁負荷量
C0*d*Qx
Permitted load in case of Qx
65
Qx
Q（排出水量）
Quantity
6
2. Measures for Domestic Wastewater
<Types of treatment for domestic wastewater and rates of prevalence>
Vault toilet
Flush toilet septic tanks
(in principle, new construction prohibited)
Collection
Effluence
Untreated
effluence
Untreated
effluence
Individual septic tanks (Johkasou)
Septic tank (combined treatment)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.3
7.2
2.1
0.3
7.6
2.3
0.3
7.8
2.5
0.3
8.1
2.6
0.3
8.4
2.7
61.8
63.5
65.2
66.7
68.1
2000
H12
Sewer
2001
H13
2002
H14
2003
H15
Effluence
Sewage system, drainage facilities for agricultural
communities, community plants
Pipe
and
drain
2004
H16
Sewer for agri-community Johkasou Community plants
下水道
農集排
浄化槽
Septic tank
(Johkasou) combined
treatment
コミプラ
Treatment plant
7
Trends in percentages of different domestic treatment facilities and
percentage of population having each in recent years
Basin population
Kasumigaura
Sewer
Septic tank(Johkasou)
Sewer for agri-community
Sewer
(release out of basin)
Out of service
Sewer
(release within basin)
Septic tank
(Johkasou)
Lake Biwa
Sewer
Sewer for agri-community
Septic tank
(Johkasou)
Sewer for
agri-community
Basin population
Out of service
Septic tank
(Johkasou)
Sewer
(release within basin)
Sewer for
agri-community
8
Public Awareness Promotional Activities
• Creation and distribution of pamphlets, flyers, etc.
• Poster displays, signs, etc.
• Symposiums, forums, workshops, study groups and
other events
• Distribution of sink-corner strainers, filter paper
and other materials
• Public awareness campaigns by instructors of
domestic wastewater measures
• Forming of community councils led by residents
and other such organizations
9
Don’t wash away!
Let’s begin living with nature-friendly lifestyle for river and sea
If you wash away
BOD(g)
How many bathtubs do you need
to make good water for fishes able to live?
Tempura oil
Mayonnaise
Milk
Beer
Miso soup
Water after washing rice
Sauce
Shampoo
Detergent
10
WE CAN !!!
Bathroom
Washing
Toilet
11
Structural Diagram of Small-Scale Septic Tank (FRP)
(Johkasou)
Quality of
treated water
BOD <=20 mg/L
Affluence
Anaerobic
filtration
tank
Contact
aeration tank
Sludge
Sedimentation
tank
Sludge
Disinfection
tank
Effluence
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3. Measures for Unspecified Sources of Pollution
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Progress of Agricultural Measures in Shiga
(1) Contents of measures in Water Quality Conservation
Plan for Enclosed Water Bodies
In the 5th Water Quality Conservation Plan for Enclosed
Water Bodies covering Lake Biwa, the measure for
agricultural areas with respect to groundwater is to further
promote environmentally friendly agriculture in which the
amount of chemical pesticides and fertilizers is well below
conventional practice and considerations are made for
maintaining harmony with the environment such as
appropriate management of agricultural wastewater.
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(2) Measures for Agricultural Wastewater
(1) Public awareness promotional activities
15
(2) Project for creation of facilities for repeated use of water for rice
paddies (Mizusumashi Plan)
Creation of facilities to reuse agricultural wastewater
16
(3) Ordinance for Promotion of Environmentally Friendly
Agriculture
The Shiga Prefectural Ordinance for Promotion of Environmentally Friendly
Agriculture was enacted in March 2003 for the purpose of fostering sound
development of agriculture in Shiga and conservation of Lake Biwa and other natural
resources in order to provide consumers with better, safer agricultural products and
to ensure harmony between the environment and agricultural production.
17
Overview of partial amendment to Law Concerning Special Measures for Conservation of Water Quality of Enclosed Water Bodies
-Improvement of water quality in closed water bodies has stagnated
stagnated
(this was also pointed out in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
and
Communications policy evaluation)
-Revitalization of residents' campaigns and raising of interest and
and awareness
Policies for improvement of water
quality of enclosed water bodies
must be expanded
The following will be added to the measures that have been in place
ace up to this point
The following will be added to the measures that have been inplplace up to this point
(pollutant load regulations on plants and operation sites, domestic
tic wastewater measures, etc.)
domes
(pollutant load regulations on plants and operation sites, domestic wastewater measures, etc.)
1. Further reduction of pollutant load going into enclosed water bodies
bodies
(1) Establishment of new effluent water control zones
-Designate areas where measures against pollutant loads coming from
from agricultural and urban lands are necessary
-Formulate and implement plan for promoting measures against effluent
effluent water
(2) Review regulations on plants and operation sites
Apply pollutant load regulations to existing operation sites which
which had heretofore only applied to
new constructions and extensions
2. Appropriate conservation of environment around lakes to ensure water
water purification
Establish new lake environment conservation zones
-Designate areas where conservational activities are particularly necessary for the preservation of water quality (e.g. reed beds around lakes)
-Make notification of plant picking activities mandatory
3. Other
Other measures such as placing priority on opinions of local residents
residents in the procedures for formulating water quality conservation
conservation
plans for enclosed water bodies
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Effluent Water Control and Lake Environment
Conservation Zones
Designated
Areas
Affluent river
Lake Kasumigaura
(various natural shores in Nishiura and Oiwata)
Effluent water
control zones
Affluent river
Efflue
nce
Efflue
nce
Efflue
nce
Efflue
nce
Comprised of rice
paddies, fields,
urban areas, etc.
Designated
enclosed
water bodies
Affluent river
Lake Suwa (manmade shore at Shibusaki)
Lake environment
conservation zone
Lake Biwa (west side)
19
Shoreline Vegetation at Lake Shinji
Matsue City
Lake Shinji
Vegetation on
northern shore
Hikawa Town
oem
<- G
iver
on R
<Hi
i
Riv
er
Hirata City
Vegetation on
western shore
20
Water Conveyance Project
In conjunction with flood control and water utilization projects,
this project aims to improve the water quality of enclosed water
bodies by infusing clean water from fast flowing rivers into polluted
enclosed water bodies. A monitoring committee was set up at Tega
Marsh to monitor and survey hydrological properties, water quality,
plant and animal life, and other environmental indicators.
Infusion of clean
water
Tega River
Purification
Facility
21
V. Annual Change in COD (75%) of Designated Enclosed Water Bodies
Note: Values for Lake Biwa are
from southern side
Values from Lake
Kasumigaura are from western 22
side
Lake Biwa
from official website of Ibaraki
Pref.
Lake Kasumigaura
Thank you for listening.
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