The water in Japan is very clean, you can drink water directly from the public taps. Although it is possible to use water outside for free, the water bills in each area and city are very different. Through this article, we will introduce the water price list, the water bill calculation and ways to handle problems with your water pipes.

Due to the difference in the production process and the location where you live, the taste of the tap water is not always the same. The Japanese government also has a ranking for the deliciousness of tap water in each region.

In which, the top 5 regions are:

Obihiro City (Hokkaido)
Aomori City (Aomori)
Shioya City (Tochigi)
Toyama City (Toyama)
Ono City (Fukui)

Water bill will be collected every 2 months (sometimes once a month). The calculation will be as follows:

Total water bill ＝ Minimum bill (depending on the water service plan) + Volume charge

The minimum bill depends on the water supply company, most will fall in the range of 1,375 yen.

The volume charge is calculated based on the amount of water used and it will fall into the following unit price range:

17 – 20㎥: 11 yen/㎥, total = 11 yen x the amount of water used (㎥)
21 – 40㎥: 158 yen/㎥, total = 158 yen x the amount of water used (㎥)
41 – 60㎥: 226 yen/㎥, total = 226 yen x the amount of water used (㎥)

If you use 18㎥ of water, then from 0 to 16㎥ of water you will only have to pay the basic rate of 1,375 yen. However, from 17 to 18㎥, you have to pay 2㎥ of water x 11 yen which is 22 yen. Therefore, the total amount you have to pay now is 1,397 yen.

HOW TO DEAL WITH WATER PIPE PROBLEMS 

The first thing you need to do is make sure of your own safety.

Next, you need to lock the main water valve or the water valve leading to the part that is leaking. Also, unplug the equipment nearby to avoid fire or explosion. Once the situation is temporarily under control, it is necessary to notify the company incharge of your building as they have a maintenance team to handle this.

If it takes a few days for the company to send someone to your place, notify your neighbors about the water leak so that they will have a backup plan as soon as possible.