2021 Volume 63 Issue 4 Pages 241-252
The provision of the domestic water supply after an earthquake poses a large societal concern. While the water supply systems across Japan are presently being reconstructed to ensure they are earthquake resistant, preparing alternative water supplies has also been proposed. Local groundwater sources, also known as disaster emergency wells (DEWs), are an example of an alternative water source. This study investigated the current prevalence of DEWs throughout Japan's municipalities and classified them by purpose. The municipalities used DEWs as a source of drinking water and domestic water and also for fire protection, medical use, and livestock farming use. Some municipalities have plans to use snow-melting wells and agricultural wells for an alternative water source in emergency. A spatial distribution of such uses is presented, which shows local diversity in groundwater use.
