Water Outages Expected in 17 Okinawa Municipalities

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Nov. 24 (Jiji Press)–The Okinawa prefectural government said Monday that the water supply is expected to be cut off in 17 municipalities in the central and southern parts of Japan’s southernmost prefecture due to a large-scale leak. The leak was caused by the rupture of a water pipe laid in the village of Ogimi in the northern part of Okinawa’s main island. According to the prefectural government, the rupture occurred around 3:00 a.m. the same day. The pipe, installed in 1967, carries water from a dam to a water purification plant. The rupture is believed to be due to aging, and there is no estimated time for restoration. A sinkhole has formed on the prefectural road at the site, causing the road to be closed. The 17 municipalities include the prefectural capital of Naha, the city of Okinawa and the village of Onna, out of the 26 municipalities on the prefecture’s main island. The prefecture aims to resume water supply as early as Tuesday morning by using an alternative water pipe. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]