Mystery donor gives Japanese city $3.6M in gold bars to fix water system
5 days ago
- #Donation
- #Infrastructure
- #Japan
- A mystery donor gave Osaka, Japan, 21kg of gold bars worth $3.6m to help fix its ageing water system.
- Osaka's water and sewage pipes are ageing, leading to safety concerns, with over 90 water pipe leaks recorded in 2024.
- The donor, who remains anonymous, had previously donated 500,000 yen for municipal waterworks.
- More than 20% of Japan's water pipes have exceeded their 40-year legal service life, causing issues like sinkholes.
- Budget constraints have slowed efforts to replace corroded pipes nationwide.