After suffering numerous problems, the newly installed treatment system for decontaminating radioactive water at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant and another system designed to recirculate that water to cool the reactors are finally working.
Leaks at couplings and various other parts of a 4-km-long stretch of hoses between the water treatment system and the circulation cooling system have been a major headache for Tokyo Electric Power Co. workers, who have been forced to shut down the systems several times.
Experts say, however, that Tepco is out of options.