Home > Bilateral Relations> JICA Volunteers in Palau >Hitoshi Fukazawa / Water Quality Management of Sewerage

JICA Volunteers in Palau

◆Alii from Palau!

Hitoshi Fukazawa
JICA Senior Volunteer

　　　I worked at Shizuoka prefecture Institute of environment and hygiene for more than 30 years and mainly ran investigation on water quality problems. After my retirement I came to Palau as a Senior Volunteer of JICA. It has been 9 months after I arrived here at the end of September 2011.

(Water sampling in the tall grass. Grass grow really quickly under the strong sun)

　　　 I am assigned to Malakal sewer treatment plant, which is one of the subordinate agencies of MPIIC (Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce). The plant is located at the southern end of Malakal Island and between a small hill and Icebox Park located at the coastline, and we have a wonderful view and a good natural environment around here.

　　　Koror State, where the population density is the highest in Palau, has adopted a sewer system. The wastewater collected from this area is treated at our sewer treatment plant and then finally the treated water is discharged into the ocean. We have an important role not only keeping the residents in hygienic and comfortable environment but also keeping the ocean clean.

　　　I run water quality measurement at the sewer treatment plant. I measure water quality and estimate the results. I hope we can improve the way to control and maintain the facilities based on these data. My goal is to improve the water quality of the final effluent. There has been no data collected on water quality in at this plant after since the renewal of this plante facility for about 7 years ago. Though people in our plant maintain the facilities with experience now, I hope they will be able to do it properly with scientific data from now onin the future.

(Water Analysis: Make-doing with limited equipment)

　　　This plant is under good conditions to treat water economically. There is a difference of height at each facilities; wastewater can flow down from the first treatment facility, the primary pond, to the final one, the wetland, with only the power of gravity. It doesn’t need any other energy. And we treat wastewater by using microorganisms. This plant is equipped with a trickling filter that we seldom see in Japan. In Palau, the sunlight is very strong and the atmospheric temperature is about 28℃　throughout the year. It is very different from in Japan. In Japan, there are four seasons and the change of temperature is much larger. So there is a great difference in activities of microorganisms between Palau and Japan. For example, photosynthetic microorganisms received strong sunlight grow rapidly and we can see the pond to completely change its color into green in just a few hours.

　　　I’m always surprised that nature is working with a big power in this plant. It’s really interesting for me. I recognize that I’m the first person investigating the water quality of this plant and I’m very happy to do it and I feel the responsibility for my work too.

　　　I usually go to Icebox Park in front of our plant after lunch. Since it’s along the seaside, a good and cool wind blows around here. There is a summerhouse, built with just a tin roof and a pillar, in this park. A lot of local people get together here to take a rest or have a chat. I’ve met a lot of people here and talked about a lot of things. Though of course Palauan people speak Palauan language in their members, when I join them, they speak to me in Japanese. Some people just use simple Japanese words and some people speak Japanese fluently.

　　　Several people who are retired already and about my age often come here. They talk about why they have Japanese names, that their parents had been speaking Japanese in their home and how healthy miso soup, etc.. I feel Palauan people are very friendly to Japan and Japanese. This short time is not only useful for me to get information about Palauan and their lives but also important to keep friendly relations with the Palauans. Though I really can’t understand what they speak in Palauan, I try to join them and talk with them as much as I can. I think it’s my job too.