Wells provide lifeline to recovery efforts in disaster-hit western Japan

Wells dug for emergencies are helping residents and volunteer workers in western Japan areas where water supplies remain cut off weeks after devastating torrential rains earlier this month, local people said Monday.More than 17,000 households in the hardest-hit Okayama, Hiroshima and Ehime prefectures were still without water as of Saturday afternoon after floods and mudslides, caused by the heavy rains, severed pipes and damaged related facilities. More than 200 people were killed in the disaster.While much well water is not suitable for drinking, it can be used for cleaning, flushing toil…READ FULL ARTICLE