A hospital in Japan “accidentally” used simply treated water meant for toilets as drinking water for nearly 30 years, according to a report in Yomiuri Shimbun. The bizarre incident came to light last month, leading to an apology from Osaka University researcher and hospital’s vice president Kazuhiko Nakatani.
According to Japanese news outlet, the hospital is situated in Osaka University. The clinic building is attached to the faculty of medicine.
Shockingly, the well water was flowing to 120 faucets, which were used for drinking water, washing hands and even gargling. The fault happened because of an error in connecting pipes when the hospital was constructed in 1993.
The report in Japanese media outlet said that no one flagged or even noticed the issue until the hospital management started 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.
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.
Nakatani issued an apology at a press conference recently for causing anxiety. “I am very sorry that the university hospital that provides advanced medical care has caused anxiety,” he was quoted as saying by the publication.
Yomiuri Shimbun reported that there are more than 100 other buildings in the campus that use the simply treated well water. The hospital authorities said they will check the piping and get the error rectified, according to the publication.