2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
[HCG25-03] Preliminary Report on the Survey of Water Use under the Noto Peninsula Earthquake (1): Role of Local Small Water Sources
Keywords:Noto Earthquake, evacuation life, Domestic water use, Local Water Sources
The earthquake that struck the Noto area at 16:10 on January 1, 2023, was centered 42 km northeast of Anamizu Town at a depth of 16 km (provisional value), with a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale and a maximum observed intensity of 7. The earthquake caused extensive damage in a wide area of the Noto Peninsula, including collapsed houses and landslides. At the request of residents, the presenters visited the area between February 8 and 10 to survey the damage to water use and possible alternative water sources such as wells, springs, and surface water in the Mii district, located in the mountainous area of Wajima City.
The water supply source for the waterworks in the Mii district of Wajima City was supplied from the Wajima Water Filtration Plant, located approximately 12 km away in the city center at an elevation of 6 m, via multiple pumping stations to the mountainous area where the water distribution reservoirs in the Mii district are located. In response, temporary river water intake and filtration systems have been installed, and water pipeline leaks are being inspected and repaired, but as of February 10, the water supply was still cut off.
Water tanks were deployed at designated evacuation centers to provide water for daily use, and people continued to pump water into polyethylene tanks and take it home with them. As a result, bathing, using the toilet, and cooking remained unsatisfactory for more than a month. On the other hand, there were many houses in mountain villages that had long used stream water from the mountains behind their houses or wells at home as water for daily use, and these houses and villages were able to use well pumps with electricity restored about a week after the earthquake, and were able to use the same water for daily use as before the disaster. In addition, those households with well water shared toilets and baths with other disaster victims and connected well water pipelines to neighboring houses for mutual assistance in the community. Under these circumstances, there was a growing awareness among the followers of the importance of alternative water sources other than the existing water supply system, and the value of traditional small-scale water sources in the community was being reevaluated. In the presentation, we will summarize the hydrological characteristics of local water as a potential alternative water source and include the results of additional studies to be conducted in the future.
The water supply source for the waterworks in the Mii district of Wajima City was supplied from the Wajima Water Filtration Plant, located approximately 12 km away in the city center at an elevation of 6 m, via multiple pumping stations to the mountainous area where the water distribution reservoirs in the Mii district are located. In response, temporary river water intake and filtration systems have been installed, and water pipeline leaks are being inspected and repaired, but as of February 10, the water supply was still cut off.
Water tanks were deployed at designated evacuation centers to provide water for daily use, and people continued to pump water into polyethylene tanks and take it home with them. As a result, bathing, using the toilet, and cooking remained unsatisfactory for more than a month. On the other hand, there were many houses in mountain villages that had long used stream water from the mountains behind their houses or wells at home as water for daily use, and these houses and villages were able to use well pumps with electricity restored about a week after the earthquake, and were able to use the same water for daily use as before the disaster. In addition, those households with well water shared toilets and baths with other disaster victims and connected well water pipelines to neighboring houses for mutual assistance in the community. Under these circumstances, there was a growing awareness among the followers of the importance of alternative water sources other than the existing water supply system, and the value of traditional small-scale water sources in the community was being reevaluated. In the presentation, we will summarize the hydrological characteristics of local water as a potential alternative water source and include the results of additional studies to be conducted in the future.