GAC023 AE01 Environmental Issue Investigation

Water problems in Japan

Student Name: Coco Luo
Student ID: 14409
Teacher: Mr. Sparks
Due Date:
Word Count: 1467
Table of Contents
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………1
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………1
Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………..2
Findings…………………………………………………………………………………………..2
Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………..5
Conclusions and Recommendations……………………………………………………………..6
References………………………………………………………………………………………..7

Summary
This report is going to find out and then examine a possible solution to the water scarcity problem in Japan. Referring to the special location and weather of this country, information about the new water treatment
According to Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2008), from 1939 to 2006, millions of people were influenced at least once by reduced or suspended water supply. On the other hand, water sanitation has a great impact on human’s health, which includes high percentage of harmful minerals tested in the freshwater resources and dangerous nuclear leakage from power stations. In order to offer enough amount of uncontaminated, drinkable water, the Japanese government had better increase the water supply with clean water safegurad. According to Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2008), water supply and bulk water supply businesses, private water supply and private water supply facilities are provided in Japan to meet citizens’ needs for water so far. Those supplies are expanding continuously to ensure that all Japanese are able to get fine water (see figure 1). In Japan, most of living water comes from surface water such as dams and rivers (see figure 2). To deal with the pollution in surface water, technologies used in WaterHub on Emory University is a potential choice. This project aims to provide clean freshwater and turn the wastes into reusable sources at the same time (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). The water system is able to recycle about 40% of the whole campus water demand and displace 100% of the
In the last fifty years, the application of Japanese water supply businesses and other water supply together made a large contribution to the water stress crisis. Ever since 2005, the increase in water supply has helped 97% of the population get enough water in need. Water utility plan further ensures people living in rural areas with water supply in 24 hours endlessly. Besides, the surface water, which most Japanese use in living, always contain rich nutrients, organisms, harmful materials and bad smell. To this problem, the reclamation of water plan in Emory University is considered to be a good choice for Japanese to save their water and reuse the sources at the same time. The first reactor of WaterHub plan, the anoxic reactor, largely reduces BOD and thus solves eutrophication by removing oxygen. The two biological membrane reactors then help to filter out suspended solids, large molecules and odorous gases. Since the membranes are selectively permeable, large particles, like mercury, cadmium, calcium and so on, and smells in the water will be removed. The hydroponic reactors thus transfer the wastes products to plants, providing nutrients for the growth of microbial films, which not only decompose the wastes naturally, but also use them as energy for vegetables growth. Therefore, the plan helps this resource scarce country to both get enough clean water and save their natural resources. Apart from that, the