This Japanese Hospital 'Accidentally' Used Water Meant For Toilet As Drinking Water For Nearly 30 Years

How did such a mistake go unnoticed for so long? A hospital in Japan "accidentally" used water meant for toilets as drinking water for nearly 30 years.

The bizarre incident came to light last month, leading to an apology from Osaka University researcher and hospital's vice president Kazuhiko Nakatani.

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Japan's Osaka University announced on Oct 20 that some of the tap water pipes in the affiliated hospital of the school¡¯s medical department were connected incorrectly, causing the drinking water pipes to be connected to the toilet, local outlet Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

To make matters worse, the issue has been occurring for nearly 30 years, since the hospital opened in 1993. Of the total, 120 taps were deemed faulty.

The water flowing to 120 faucets was being used for drinking water, washing hands and even gargling, the report said.

No one had flagged or even noticed the issue until the hospital management started the construction of a new treatment plant. The problem of unsafe water was discovered during an inspection of the new building.

The university is investigating the matter; it said that though the water quality is being checked, no health hazard has been confirmed.

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The records are available since 2014 about the water being inspected for colour, taste and odour every week. There has been, however, no issues since then.

At a press conference, Director and Vice President Kazuhiko Nakatani apologised.

In the translated text, he said: "I am very sorry that the university hospital that provides advanced medical care has caused anxiety."

He added that there are 105 buildings in the university that use simply treated well water, and the school will check the connection of their water pipes.

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