Water treatment delayed again

[xchrom]

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110622a2.html

FUKUSHIMA — Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Tuesday that a pump on its new radioactive water treatment system at the Fukushima No. 1 plant halted automatically during an early morning trial run, freezing up the entire apparatus.

Tepco said it believes the pump, a component developed by France's Areva SA to inject chemicals into the key system to decontaminate radioactive materials, stopped because it was overburdened by excessive liquid flow.

Tepco said it restarted the trial run in the afternoon after adjusting the liquid flow.

Smooth operation of the treatment system, which is designed to remove highly radioactive materials from the massive amount of water accumulating at the power station, is essential to containing the crisis; Tepco plans to eventually recycle the water to cool the plant's damaged reactors.