Domestic Wastewater Treatment

by Johkasou Systems in Japan

Hiroshi Ogawa
Japan Education Center of Environmental Sanitation
2-23-3 Kikukawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0024, Japan

What is Johkasou?

Blower
Air pipe
Inflow pipe
Wastewater pit
Johkasou
(building frame)
Disinfection chamber
Outflow pipe (effluent)

An Example of Johkasou Installed at

Individual House

A small-scale Johkasou (FRP)

Effluent water quality

BOD 20 mg/l

Influent

Anaerobic
filter tank

Contact
aeration tank

Separated sludge

Sedimentation
tank

Sludge

Disinfection
tank

Effluent

A Middle-scale Johkasou (FRP)

Inflow pipe
Sludge thickening-storage tank
Contact aeration tank (2nd room)
Outflow pump tank
Outflow pipe

Flow equalization
tank
Contact aeration tank (1st room)

Disinfection tank
Sedimentation tank

Middle-scale johkasou

A Middle-scale Johkasou (RC)

Main Systems for Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Johkasou

Rural Sewerage

Public Sewerage

Various Systems for Treatment of Night Soil, Sewage and Wastewater in Japan
(Storage tank)

Night soil

Separate sewer system

Domestic
wastewater

Night soil treatment

facility1
Tandoku-shori
johkasou2
Combined sewer system

Sewerage system

Johkasou4
Night soil + Gray water3

Rural sewerage
system
Community plant

Storm
wastewater

(Urban storm drainage system)

Note: 1. Night soil treatment facilities also treat sludge collected from tandoku-shori johkasous,
community plants, gappei-shori johkasous and sewerage system in rural area.
2. The many are installed in individual houses.
3. Gray water is miscellaneous domestic wastewater except night soil.
4. Though not many facilities are installed in individual houses, the number is increasing.

Public
water
bodies

Trends of Populations Served by Johkasou, etc.

130
120

Total population

110
100

Population of flush toilets use

Population, milion

90
80
70
60

Population served by sewerage system

50
40
30

Population of johkasou use

20
10
0
1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

Fiscal Year

1995

2000

2005

2010

Advantages of Johkasou System

Flush toilets can be used in unsewered districts.
Miscellaneous domestic wastewater can be treated, contributing to
prevention of water pollution.
Conserving water in small rivers, a human-closely water environment will
be formed.
A small-scale johkasou can be installed at a low cost and in short time.
Wastewater collection and johkasou installation receive less influence of
topographic conditions at the site.
Treated water can easily be reused for various purposes as a reliable
water resource.
Sludge from johkasous can be used as fertilizer or for biomass production.
Johkasous have high resistance against earthquake and other disasters.

BOD Loading per capita per day

of Domestic Wastewater from Household

Cleaning

Night soil

Cooking

BOD loading
43g/cap

Gray water

Bathing

Cooking

Cleaning etc.

Washing/Bathing

Flush toilet

40L

72L

50L

38L

Wastewater amount (200L/capday)

Legal Systems of Johkasou Systems

Johkasou Law
Administrative Agencies
Submission
Recommendation

Governor
Or Mayor
Specified
administrative
agency

Order of
modification
Or rejection

Johkasou Manager
Document
inspection for
installation

Construction

Specified
inspection
agency

Legal examination
after installation

Administrative Agencies

Application
Manufacturer
Approval of type and model

Construction
company
Johkasou
installation worker

Designation
Minister of the
Environment or
Governor

Related Personnel

Agency for the

examination
Agency for the
training courses
Johkasou operator

Minister of Land,
Infrastructure and
Transport

Application
Governor
Registration
Qualification
Designation
Designation

Qualification

Minister of Land,
Infrastructure and
Transport
Minister of Land,
Infrastructure and
Transport
Minister of the
Environment
Minister of the
Environment

Application

Specified
inspection
agency

Operation and
maintenance

Maintenance
vendor

Desludging

Desludging
vendor

Annual legal
examination

Registration
Application
Approval

Governor
or Mayor
Municipal
Mayor

Johkasou Technicians and Vendors on

Johkasou Business
Classification

Number of person/vendor

Johkasou operator

63,104

Johkasou installation worker

77,728

Johkasou inspector

2,533

Johkasou desludging technician

14,205

Vendor for johkasou O&M

9,087

Vendor for johkasou desludging

4,806

Specified examination agency

65

Johkasou manufacturer

38
(By the end of Mar. 2005)

Reuse of Effluent and Sludge

Effluent can be used for:
*Flushing toilet
*Watering
*Car washing
*Firefighting
Domestic
Wastewater

Johkasou
Sludge

Sludge can be for Compost

Effluent
Storage Tank

Effluent

Comparison of Different Subsidy Programs

(For installing a johkasou of 5 NUD, which will cost 860,000 if it is not subsidized)
In the case of Johkasou Installation Promotion Program:

Amount subsidized by
municipalities and the
government(340,000)

Amount borne by the house owner

(520,000)

In the case of Johkasou Installation Program in Specified Areas:

Sewerage works
construction bond
(480,000)

Amount subsidized
by government funding
(290,000)

Amount borne by
the house
owner(90,000)

Toward the Water Quality Protection

in Public Water Bodies and the Creation
of Desirable Water , Reuse of Effluent and
Sludge

The End