Contaminated Water at Fukushima Increased to Over 120,000 Tons

121,000 tonnes of highly contaminated water alone as of June 29, according to TEPCO, an increase of about 16,000 tonnes since the end of May.

From Asahi Shinbun (1:07AM JST 6/30/2011):

東 京電力は２９日、福島第一原子力発電所１～４号機などにたまった高濃度の放射能汚染水が２８日現在で約１２万１千トンに上ると発表した。５月末時 点から１万６千トン増えた。内訳は１～４号機の原子炉建屋やタービン建屋などに計約９万９４４０トン、汚染水を一時保管している集中廃棄物処理施設に計約 ２万１７３０トン。

TEPCO announced on June 29 that the highly contaminated water in the buildings of Reactors 1 through 4 was about 121,000 tonnes as of June 28. It is an increase of 16,000 tonnes since the end of May. There are 99,440 tonnes of water in the reactor buildings and turbine buildings of the Reactors 1 through 4, and 21,730 tonnes in the Central Waste Processing Facility that temporarily stores the highly contaminated water.

東電は浄化処理を続けることによって、６月２９日からの１週間で汚染水を現状から３千トン減らせるとしている。ただし、浄化処理施設の稼働率８０％が前提。１７日から２８日までの実績は約５５％で、処理量は約７２３０トンだった。

TEPCO thinks it will be able to reduce the amount of the water by 3,000 tonnes in one week starting June 29. However, that schedule assumes the water treatment system to run at the operating rate of 80%. From June 17 to 28, the system ran at about 55%, processing 7,230 tonnes of water.

By the way, the water treatment system is stopped again, for yet another unknown reason. On June 29 alone, the system had to be stopped at least twice for water leakage in different parts of the system before the alarm that sounded in the evening shut down the entire system again. TEPCO is investigating.