Officials allay fears of potentially dangerous level of E.coli in Tokyo Bay
A tropical storm with heavy rain is forecast in the Japanese capital next week and such occurrences often lead to high levels of bacteria as huge volumes of water are known to join sewage flow and gush into the shallow waters of Tokyo Bay. But, officials are allaying any fears of potentially dangerous level of E.coli bacteria in the Bay.
This is not a new phenomenon. The Odaiba Marine Park, an urban beach in the centre of Tokyo is where the Triathlon swim legs start and where in August 2019 a test for the swimming part of the Paratriathlon was cancelled after E. coli bacteria was found in the water at more than twice the limit set by World Triathlon.
The extreme summer heat, potential tropical storms and poor water quality have given the Olympic organisers a headache but they are desperate to avoid any embarrassment in having to turn the most iconic of all triathlon races into a duathlon.
However, Olympic officials are confident that the safety measures put in place will protect the athletes and keep them safe. To combat E.coli build up instead of a single filter screen as used for the Test Event, triple-layer screens have been installed as well as regular daily checks of water quality to prevent the inflow of E.coli bacteria after rainfall. Also, 22,200 cubic metres of sand was distributed into the bay to help support water-cleaning organisms and water flow generators have been introduced to deal with rising water temperatures when the underwater screens are closed.
The issue is that E.coli levels in Tokyo Bay increase when it rains because sewage is flushed out from the city. Most parts of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures do not have a system that separates sewage from rainwater. Luckly, the Odaiba area (where the swim events take place) separates sewage from rainwater, but the problem is when it rains the sewage flows down from other parts of Tokyo.
The officials are confident in the measures put in place by (the Tokyo organising committee) to address any issues surrounding the water quality in the build-up to competition days.
