Kyoto Pref. using treated sewage as farm water amid drought in northern region

Strong sunlight beats down in this file photo. (Mainichi)

KYOTO — Drought brought by a heatwave and light rainfall this summer have adversely affected rice plants, orchard trees, vegetables and other farm produce grown in northern Kyoto Prefecture and the surrounding areas, prompting local authorities to divert water discharged from a sewage plant for agricultural use.

From Aug. 5, the Kyoto Prefectural Government is diverting water released from the Miyazu Bay purification center in the prefectural city of Miyazu — an extremely unusual measure. The treated sewage water, which is normally discharged into rivers, is being pooled in a huge tank before it is diverted to rice paddies and other drought-stricken areas, according to the prefecture.

In July, the rainfall in northern Kyoto Prefecture dropped to around 10% of the level seen in normal years in Taiza and Mineyama in the city of Kyotango, and the Maizuru area in the city of Maizuru. High temperatures and low rainfall are expected to continue for some time. In these areas, discoloration of rice plants, cracks in parched fields and other damage have been confirmed, with the adverse conditions delaying the growth of vegetables and hindering the sprouting of beans.

To quickly address the drought damage, the prefecture decided to temporarily use water discharged from the purification center as agricultural water. It borrowed a 5,000-liter tank from a fisheries office to pool the discharged water in the tank before transporting it on a truck of the prefecture-run Ikari Highland Farm in Kyotango and pouring the water into rice paddies across the drought-affected areas. “This is an unprecedented initiative,” a prefectural official said.

The prefectural government held an emergency meeting on the evening of Aug. 4 to confirm these measures. Kyoto Gov. Takatoshi Nishiwaki emphasized, “It is an extremely critical period especially for the growth of paddy rice. We need to secure water in a prefecture-wide approach.”

(Japanese original by Satoshi Kubo, Kyoto Bureau)