Japanese hospital staff has been drinking toilet water from 30-years

The Japanese hospital staff and patients have recently noticed that they have been using "random" toilet water as drinking water for almost three decades. It was shocking that such an error came into notice after so long.

Japanese News Outlet Yomiuri Shimbun published that Osaka University Hospital announced on October 20 that tap water pipes in some parts of the campus had been incorrectly installed. Further investigations indicated that drinking water pipes were connected to the toilet water drainage system.

The news outlet added that the false implementation of the water pipes was done in 1993 when the hospital was built. Around 120 taps were reportedly defective. It was noted that staff and patients used the unsafe water to drink, wash and gargle without knowing its origin.

Nobody even noticed the issue until the hospital decided to build a new building. During the review of the new approach and diagnostic facility, the problem of unsafe water was discovered.

Interestingly, some reports claim that the hospital checks the water's colour, smell, and taste at least once a week. And based on existing records, there has been no water problem since 2014. The university has claimed that no health risks were found or reported during the investigation.

The news spread like wildfire, causing fear among thousands of people. Director and Vice President Kazuhiko Nakatani have apologised to former patients and staff as the news has caused fear among thousands of former patients and staff. He said: "I apologise that the university hospital, which offers advanced medical care, has caused concern."

The director assured that all 105 buildings of the university use well-treated water. He also added that the school regularly checks the connection of its water pipes.