After the wrong connection of pipes, a Japanese hospital used its toilet water as drinking water almost thirty years later.
The shocking mistake was discovered at Osaka University hospital in Suita, Japan last month when it found some tap water pipes were connected to the toilet.
The hospital announced on October 20 that some of the tap water pipes in the medical department were connected incorrectly, a local media outlet Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
However, upon further investigation, around 120 taps were declared faulty and it was found the issue dated back nearly 30 years to when the hospital opened in 1993.
Suita’s Osaka University Hospital (pictured), Japan, discovered that water pipes were incorrectly connected to the toilets for nearly 30 years.
Patients and staff in hospitals have used the unsanitary toilet water without being able to identify its source.
The mistake had never been flagged and was not noticed until the hospital management started construction of a new water treatment plant. An inspection of new buildings revealed the unsafe water.
According to the university, it was investigating and has confirmed that there is no danger of health.
Nearly 120 taps were deemed defective, with hospital staff and patients using the unsanitary toilet water without knowing where it came from (stock photo).
The publication also stated that hospital officials will inspect and correct the problem with the piping.
According to reports, the hospital inspects water colour, taste, and odour at least once per week. However, no reported problems have been found since 2014, when records were first started.
At a press conference, Osaka University researcher and hospital’s vice president Kazuhiko Nakatani issued an apology, saying: ‘I am very sorry that the university hospital that provides advanced medical care has caused anxiety.’
He said that school personnel will inspect the water connections on a regular basis.