Securing water sources for a satellite city: the case of Takarazuka City,
Hyogo Prefecture.
YAJIMA Iwao@Kobe Gakuin University.
keywords: irrigation association, satellite city, water source, waterworks,
wholesale waterworks
Summary
Takarazuka City is a satellite city of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Major Metropolitan Area. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the developing
process of the waterworks of Takarazuka City and to make clear the background
to secure various water sources by the city and the relationships between
the waterworks and agricultural irrigation associations or wholesale waterworks.
Takarazuka City was developed as a spa site and
residential suburb before World War II. Many private water supply systems
were constructed for the spa and residences.
In 1950 and 1951, municipal water supply systems
were constructed in two villages. In 1954, these villages merged into Takarazuka
City. Takarazuka City put together two municipal water supply systems and
private water supply systems into one. In the first half of the 1960's,
the population grew in Takarazuka City and water demands increased. Takarazuka
City took water from shallow wells along the Mukogawa River and divided
water from irrigation canal. But, Takarazuka City had to negotiate with
some irrigation associations which are down river from the city and which
hold customary water rights to the Mukogawa River. Takarazuka City compensated
the organizations for water. When some troubles occurred with the water
source, Takarazuka City took water from Mukogawa River directly without
permission. Divided water from another municipal waterworks and water from
deep well were used as water source for Takarazuka City, too.
From the second half of the 1960's to the first
half of the 1970's, Takarazuka City experienced a rapid growth of population.
Takarazuka City decided to get water from Hyogo Prefecture Wholesale Waterworks
to compensate for water demand. H.P.W.W. has water rights from the Hitokura
Dam, which was planned to be built across the Inagawa River. Because the
construction of Hitokura Dam was postponed, Takarazuka City built Kawashimogawa
Dam across a branch of the Mukogawa and dug new deep wells to secure water.
As Takarazuka City had enough water sources consequently, the City postponed
receiving water from wholesale waterworks that started to operate.
Since the first half of 1990's, population growth
continues. But, the water demand has become stagnation and is in decrease.
Water division from prefectural wholesale waterworks was started and quantity
of the water from wholesale is growing. During a serious drought in 1994-1995(Retto
Kassui), water from the Kawashimogawa Dam and the Hitokura Dam was cut
down. Recently, the rainfall around Takarazuka shows a consistent tendency
of decline. And the facilities of waterworks have become out dated. A vital
subject for the future of Takarazuka City Waterworks is the increase of
water from wholesales and that multi providers are used to obtain a secure
water supply.
(c) The Japan Association of Economic Geography 2011