【解説】『最後の砦』排水ポンプ水没…大阪市で浸水リスク高まる　洗濯や風呂の排水控えるよう呼びかけ

(Shinobu Nakatani, newscaster) Following last week's heavy rains, Osaka City has issued warnings and taken measures, but now the "last line of defense" is in crisis. Mayor Yokoyama also mentioned this at a press conference yesterday, the 2nd. "The drainage pumps at the Suminoe pumping station were damaged (due to last week's heavy rains), reducing drainage capacity." Areas in Osaka City—Ikuno, Abeno, Hirano, Sumiyoshi, Higashisumiyoshi, and Suminoe—are at higher risk of flooding than usual, and warnings have been issued. Approximately 430,000 households and 820,000 people are expected to be affected. Here's what a drainage pump looks like. Normally, sewage and rainwater from houses flow into underground pipes. From there, the water is discharged into rivers and the sea through a sewage treatment plant. However, if the system becomes overloaded due to heavy rainfall, the water flows into the underground "Naniwa Great Drainage Channel," and the pumps at the Suminoe Pumping Station within this channel are currently submerged. The pumps at this station are responsible for pumping water and discharging it into rivers and the sea, but all six pumps are currently submerged. The pumps are so submerged that the water has reached almost to the ceiling, as can be seen from the ceiling. Restoration could take several years and is estimated to cost around 30 billion yen. While the system is capable of draining water under normal rainfall, it is important to note that the drainage capacity is reduced during sudden heavy rains like last week, and measures are being called for to be taken accordingly. According to the person in charge, the reason the pump was submerged was that "the pump room at the Suminoe pumping station is not supposed to be a place where water enters," but "for some reason, water came in from underground during last week's heavy rain and caused the flooding." They are currently using other pumps as a backup and are working on draining the water. The cause is still under investigation, and while the question remains how to cope with future rains, the following measures are being called for in areas at high risk of flooding: During heavy rain, avoid low-lying areas such as basements. Also, to prevent large amounts of water from flowing into the sewer system, refrain from doing laundry and avoid draining bathwater. Mr. Horai, so there are things we can do at home, right? (Meteorologist Daisuke Horai) It's not that it will overflow immediately, and the rainwater and sewer pipes are still functioning, but when they fill up, the Naniwa Great Drainage Channel below them can't release water. Therefore, when that channel becomes full, there's a greater risk of water overflowing from rainwater and drainage pipes than usual during the rainy season and this summer. In such times, simply refraining from doing laundry or not draining the bathwater will reduce the burden on the sewer and rainwater pipes and the Naniwa Great Drainage Channel. It's important that everyone cooperates to reduce the burden on the drainage pipes underground. (Shinobu Nakatani, newscaster) We hope for a speedy recovery, but the rainfall has been getting more intense recently, hasn't it? (Meteorologist Daisuke Horai) More than 50 millimeters per hour. That's the limit for the drainage pipes under the roads. The intensity of rainfall has increased by about 1.6 times compared to the 1980s. This is also due to the effects of global warming. Since the rainy season hasn't ended yet this summer, there's a risk of heavy rain from the rainy season front plus typhoons. Furthermore, the sea temperatures around Japan are high in the summer, which could lead to more intense, sudden downpours. Therefore, caution is necessary this summer. ▼Featured videos, in-depth explanations, and the latest news delivered daily Subscribe here:    / @ytv_news   ▼Yomiuri TV News https://www.ytv.co.jp/press/ ▼Kansai Information Net ten. X (Former Twitter)   / ytvnewsten   Website: https://www.ytv.co.jp/ten/ Instagram:   / ytv.ten   Facebook:   / ytvten   ▼Information Live Miyaneya https://www.ytv.co.jp/miyaneya/ ▼News Zigzag X (Former Twitter) https://x.com/ytvzigzag Website: https://www.ytv.co.jp/zigzag/ ▼Teppan Asa Live Juutto! Website: https://www.ytv.co.jp/juutto/ X (former Twitter): @ytv_juutto https://x.com/ytv_juutto LINE: https://lin.ee/hWfyWs2 Instagram: @ytv_juutto   / ytv_juutto   TikTok:   / ytv_juutto   ▼Yomiuri Television News Department's Social Media TikTok:   / ytvnews   X (former Twitter):   / news_ytv   ▼Submit Information Here: "Submission Box" https://www.ytv.co.jp/toukou_box/