Japan
Hospital has accidentally used toilet water as drinking water for 30 years
After almost 30 years, it was discovered that both patients and staff at Osaka University Hospital had drunk toilet water
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Osaka University Hospital found that employees and patients alike have been consuming toilet water instead of drinking water for 30 years. The mistake made when building a new building was noticed.
For almost 30 years, both staff and patients have been drinking supposedly clean water from the tap at Osaka University Hospital in the Japanese city of Suita, part of Osaka prefecture. But now it came out that toilet water was accidentally drunk – and that due to a construction error.
Incorrectly laid pipes
According to the news portal “Lad Bible”, which cites the Japanese news agency Yomiuri Shimbun, Osaka University announced on October 20 that some of the water pipes in certain areas had been misplaced. That means: some drinking water pipes are connected to the toilet.
To make matters worse, the problem has existed for almost 30 years, because the university clinic was opened in 1993. As a spokesman for the hospital announced, around 120 taps were classified as faulty, which went undetected until this year – until the hospital planned to build a new diagnosis and treatment building. During the inspection of the existing buildings in the course of the planning, the incorrectly laid pipes were discovered.
Regular samples of the water
According to reports, employees and patients are said to have drunk, gargled and actually washed themselves with the toilet water. However, the hospital is said to have examined the color, taste and smell of the water once a week and stated that there had been no problems with it since 2014. Also, no health risks are said to have been identified during the examination.
At a press conference, the director and vice president of the university hospital, Kazuhiko Nakatani, apologized: “I am very sorry that the university hospital, which offers advanced medical care, has caused unrest”. He emphasized that only treated well water was used in 105 other buildings in the hospital.
Sources:“Lad Bible”, “The Daily Mail”