Abstract
This study aims at demonstrating health-related incidents caused by drinking water contamination, which occurred in the past ten years of 1997 through 2006 in Japan, and analyzing their risk levels. The information used in this study is those reported to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare according to the “Guidelines for the Implementation of Health Risk Management of Drinking Water”. In the last ten-year period, there were 27 health-related incidents involving 2, 328 cases in Japan among totally 1, 018 incidents reported. The risk levels of health-related incidents were higher at small and private water supply systems compared to those at large water supply systems. Adequate management of small and private water supply system is necessary to prevent heath-related incidents caused by drinking water contamination.
