Steam, water leaks found at Japan's Takahama nuclear reactor: media

TOKYO -- A leak of steam from a pipe has been found at a reactor at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui prefecture as well as increased amounts of leaking cooling water at another spot, local media reported on Monday.

There were no radiation leaks, and nobody was injured. The seaside plant was reducing power output to determine the causes, the public broadcaster NHK said, citing the operator Kansai Electric Power Company.

Steam was found leaking from the pipe that connects to a pump at No 1 reactor of the Takahama plant on Sunday night, the report said.

A worker carrying out inspections at the turbine building of the reactor found the leak and stopped the pump which sends cooling water to power generation equipment, it added.

Kansai Electric also said that workers found the leaking of more cooling water than usual on Monday morning at another pump.

The Fukui prefectural government said there were no changes in the measurements at radiation monitoring posts in areas surrounding the plant facing the Sea of Japan.

The No 1 reactor at the Takahama plant, the oldest operable nuclear reactor in Japan, first went into service in 1974. The reactor was brought back online on July 28 for the first time in 12 years.