Following up this article ..Cold weather destroys water cooling system
Tepco admitted that their employees suggested covering the pipes or to set heaters near them so as to not let the pipes get frozen but they kept ignoring it since last summer.
An employee sighs “The pipes are exposed to the outside. It was predicted that the pipes would get frozen and cause water leakage. What are they doing..”
As the result of doing nothing for several months, at least 23 points were found leaking water by 1/30/2012. They found 14 points leaking water by 1/29/2012 but they found additional 4 points to leak around the facility to concentrate the contaminated water by evaporating.
Tepco had been ignoring the risk because “it was hard to keep man power”, but now all they could do is to make the patrol more frequently. It requires more man power.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency asserts it is Tepco’s fault, but, there is no document to prove they warned and ordered Tepco by 1/29/2012, when they found 20 points to leak.
Now the pipe is outside, runs for longer than 10km, water leakage will happen everyday.
They just can wrap the pipes with lagging material, but still parts to stick out can not be wrapped and end up causing water leakage. They need to put heaters and surround it with temporary walls.