Survey: 70% of bridges carrying water pipes are at risk from earthquakes

An investigation by Japan's Board of Audit found that up to 70% of bridges with water or sewer pipes attached to their girders may lack the strength needed to withstand severe earthquakes.

Some of these pipes are connected to medical institutions and evacuation shelters, exposing them to the risk of interruption of water supply during disasters.

Local governments and water suppliers install pipes over rivers, usually by securing them to girder bridges with metal fittings.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism generally does not allow the installation of water lines on bridges that do not have sufficient earthquake resistance. If there are no other means of providing water in the area, local authorities must prepare water trucks or other measures to deal with potential disasters.

The aim of the audit board's survey was to verify whether local authorities had adequately ensured that pipe-connected bridges met earthquake resistance standards.

The survey covered 74 bridges for which 41 local governments and other entities signed contracts to build water pipelines between fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

The study revealed clear problems at 43 sites. The bridge designs at some of these sites were based on outdated earthquake resistance standards, while the ages of other bridges were simply unknown.

At eight additional sites, the six cities and towns responsible for installing the pipes knew the bridges might not be earthquake-resistant, but continued construction to prioritize early insertion of service pipes.

Water trucks or other emergency measures were not available in 51 problematic locations in 28 municipalities, according to the survey.

Water pipes were connected on 16 bridges to hospitals, evacuation centers, filtration stations and other vital facilities.

“Entire water and sanitation systems could lose their function, leading to major repercussions,” an audit board official said.

The Ministry only inspects pipes

In 2024, the Ministry of Infrastructure conducted urgent safety inspections of service pipes and water supply and sanitation facilities across Japan following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that wreaked devastation across the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day.

Survey results will be published in November 2024.

However, the Audit Bureau indicated that the Ministry examined the water pipes on the bridges but did not measure the seismic performance of the bridges themselves.

The ministry told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper that it had already taken action on the bridges.

“We have informed relevant local governments to check the earthquake resistance of bridges and consider changing pipeline routes,” a ministry official said.

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