Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2016

Honoring its commitment to monitor contamination levels and only discharge when stringent criteria are met, TEPCO is making efforts to reduce the water level in stages

TOKYO, January 8, 2016-The newly operating groundwater drain at Fukushima Daiichi have led the company to store this water onsite in a safe manner, placing utmost priority on adhering to the stringent criteria that TEPCO set.

On November 5, 2015, the company activated a water management system that combines a seaside impermeable wall, which blocks the flow of groundwater to the sea, with a groundwater drain system that pumps up the water that accumulates behind the wall. Expectations were that this water would be only slightly contaminated and could be treated sufficiently to meet stringent standards, agreed upon by Fukushima's fishermen associations, and then discharged into the sea. A monitoring system was put in place to ensure compliance with those discharge criteria.

This water will not be discharged into the ocean, but instead will be treated and stored safely on site. It is being pumped into the basement of the turbine building, which holds other contaminated water. Over the last several years, the subdrain system, in addition to implementation of various water management strategies has dramatically reduced the inflow of groundwater into the turbine buildings from approximately 400 cubic meters to 200 cubic meters daily, significantly reducing the demands on the water treatment and storage systems. The current pumping of water into the turbine building has raised the combined average inflow to 600 cubic meters daily, but the increase is expected to be temporary. The amount of water pumped up from the subdrain will be increased and is expected to result in a decreased amount in the groundwater drain. In addition, the paving is expected to reduce the amount of rain water seeping into the groundwater drain as well.

In the meantime, monitoring of contamination levels continues in the sea, both inside the port and in the open ocean, and no significant increase in contamination levels has been detected.

About TEPCO
Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TEPCO) is Japan's largest power company, supplying energy to the greater Kanto area, including Japan's two most populous cities, Tokyo and Yokohama. Its 34,000 employees are committed to providing safe, reliable power to its 29.0 million customers, diversifying energy resources to ensure sustainability, and contributing to economic growth while fully meeting its responsibilities after the Fukushima Daiichi accident.
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