 | Water for Urban Areas (UNU, 2000, 243 p.) |
 |  | 2. Water management in Metropolitan Tokyo |
| | The present situation |
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Tokyo's water service compared with other cities in Japan and the world
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is the biggest city in Japan. It covers an area of 2, 183 km2, which is 0.6 per cent of the total national land area. Its population of a little short of 12 million is 9.5 per cent of the total national population. Its population density of 5,500 persons/km2 is about 17 times the national average.
Table 2.6 Features of the water service in Japan's main cities, 1994
|
City |
Population served (103) |
Average daily supply per person (litres) |
Maximum daily supply per person (litres) |
Water supply facility capacity (l03m3/day) |
Household rates (yen/10m3) |
Length of distribution pipes (km) |
|
Sapporo |
1,706 |
314 |
381 |
785 |
1,194 |
4,826 |
|
Sendai |
922 |
382 |
460 |
463 |
1,266 |
2,824 |
|
Kawasaki |
1,193 |
437 |
509 |
1,026 |
587 |
2,135 |
|
Yokohama |
3,310 |
399 |
486 |
1,780 |
587 |
8,406 |
|
Nagoya |
2,146 |
386 |
478 |
1,424 |
570 |
4,990 |
|
Kyoto |
1,426 |
485 |
619 |
980 |
700 |
3,598 |
|
Osaka |
2,603 |
580 |
729 |
2,430 |
772 |
4,993 |
|
Kobe |
1,504 |
415 |
503 |
833 |
762 |
4,172 |
|
Hiroshima |
1,091 |
382 |
490 |
644 |
576 |
3,627 |
|
Kita-Kyushu |
1,018 |
360 |
441 |
710 |
751 |
3,544 |
|
Fukuoka |
1,214 |
296 |
386 |
705 |
927 |
3,372 |
|
Tokyo |
10,928 |
430 |
513 |
6,960 |
791 |
21,484 |
Source: Bureau of Waterworks (1994).
Table 2.7 Features of the water service in various cities of the world
|
City |
Population served (103) |
Length of distribution pipes (km) |
Length of distribution pipes per 103 people served (km) |
Maximum daily supply per person (litres) |
|
Bangkok |
4,800 |
8,086 |
1.7 |
479 |
|
Singapore |
2,558 |
3,905 |
1.5 |
250 |
|
Cape Town |
2,200 |
3,094 |
1.4 |
426 |
|
Rome |
2,830 |
4,810 |
1.7 |
636 |
|
Vienna |
1,470 |
2,950 |
2.0 |
393 |
|
Geneva |
304 |
911 |
3.0 |
829 |
|
Rotterdam |
1,100 |
2,700 |
2.5 |
- |
|
Detroit |
3,469 |
5,517 |
1.6 |
1,764 |
|
Tokvo |
10.928 |
21,484 |
2.0 |
513 |
Source: Bureau of Waterworks (1994).
Its water service population, waterworks capacity, and volume of water distributed are compared with other major Japanese cities in table 2.6. The maximum daily consumption of water per person in some of the major cities of the world is compared in table 2.7. Compared with Tokyo, the water supply volume of Detroit in the United States is very large, whereas in other cities consumption is lower. This reflects differences in attitudes and habits toward the use of water in each city. Nevertheless, in the face of severe environmental problems, every city should make efforts to save water.
