Water Pollution Control Law

Water Pollution Control Law
The Water Pollution Control Law was enacted in 1970 to regulate water discharged from factories and business establishments into public waters (rivers, lakes, marshes, harbors, irrigation canals, public waterways, etc., excluding public sewers and watershed sewers) and sewage that seeps underground. The purpose of the law is to prevent water pollution of public water and groundwater by regulating water discharged from factories and business establishments into public water bodies (rivers, lakes, marshes, ports, irrigation canals, public waterways, etc., excluding public sewage systems and watershed sewage systems) and sewage that seeps into the ground. The law has been amended in recent years; for example, the 1996 amendment added a section on groundwater purification measures.

Scope of Application
The Water Pollution Control Law applies to a wide range of industries, including manufacturing and mining, as well as livestock and inns. Specifically, the law applies to the following types of workplaces

Workplaces that discharge wastewater into public waters
Workplaces that allow sewage and other wastewater from specified facilities that manufacture, use, or treat hazardous substances to seep into the ground
Workplaces where wastewater including sewage is discharged from specified facilities.
Effluent standards
Effluent standards are broadly divided into two categories: standards for hazardous substances and standards for living environment items.

Standards for Hazardous Substances

Standards for hazardous substances apply to all workplaces, regardless of the size of their wastewater discharge. The specific standard values are as follows

Cadmium and its compounds: 0.1 mg/L
Cyanide compounds: 1 mg/L
Organophosphorous compounds: 1 mg/L

Standards for Living Environment Items
The standards for living environment items apply to business establishments with an average daily wastewater volume of 50 cubic meters or more. Specifically, the standards are as follows

Hydrogen ion concentration: 5.8 to 8.6 (5.0 to 9.0 in marine areas)
Biochemical oxygen demand: 160 mg/L (daily average 120 mg/L)
Chemical oxygen demand: 160 mg/L (daily average 120 mg/L)

Penalties
Penalties are immediately applied for violations of emission standards. Penalties will be applied for violations of total emission limits and underground seepage bans if they are not revised through an improvement order. In addition, if the discharge or underground seepage of hazardous substances causes harm to human life or health, the contractor is liable for no-fault liability and is liable for damages.

Measures to be taken in the event of an accident
If a facility is damaged or an accident occurs and a hazardous substance or water containing oil is discharged into public waters or seeps underground, emergency measures must be taken and the prefectural government must be notified. Oil refers to crude oil, lubricating oil, diesel oil, kerosene, gasoline, and animal and vegetable oil.

Order to Clean Up Contaminated Groundwater
When hazardous substances from a specified business site have seeped into the ground and are likely to cause damage to human health, the governor may order the specified business to purify the groundwater. The purification level is based on the Water Quality Standards. However, if the installation of the specified facility was permitted before June 15, 1996, the order is not retroactive and the obligation to purify does not arise.