Osaka City Waterworks Value-added Technology Development Committee

To maintain and further enhance the standards of water service, it is of great importance to correctly understand the rapidly changing environment in water service, develop waterworks technologies that can adapt to changes in the current environment, and determine the future direction of such a service environment. We believe that we can streamline and rationalize our management and offer more reliable water services to users by encouraging R&D of value-added technologies and applying such technologies to enhance our water facilities while constantly looking to the future.
To this end, we established “Osaka City Waterworks Value-added Technology Development Committee Eon November 30, 2004, consisting of academic experts and other specialists. Through this committee, we will promote research activities through industrial-academic-government cooperation to offer higher quality water service.

Basic Policy

We are conducting research to facilitate the planning of high cost-performance, effective water services in line with the following policy:

• To achieve a certain level of cost reduction in developing and enhancing water facilities.
• To achieve energy saving and other cost reduction effects in terms of life-cycle cost.
• To introduce low-cost, practical technologies that will contribute to upgrading existing facilities.
• To meet all of the following conditions when developing or enhancing facilities, in pursuit of environmental measures with added value.
  • To achieve high PR effect as part of environmental measures undertaken by the Waterworks Bureau.
  • To recover expenses within a period of time that is deemed reasonable.の
• To apply research results to meet demands for effective water use, including environmental water.
• To enhance comprehensive risk management measures.
• To contribute to the effective operation of Waterworks Bureau services, including increase of revenue in the future, by advanced technological measures.

Research Structure

Outline of Research Themes

a) Research on construction of a life-saving lifeline system

• Purpose:
  To develop measures to enhance water delivery, distribution, and supply networks of Osaka City with a view to constructing a life-saving lifeline system to facilitate emergency medical care and firefighting activities in case of earthquake
• Researcher in charge: Professor Shiro Takada, Kobe University Graduate School
• Research period: FY2004-
• Research theme:
  (1) Development of earthquake risk-assessment method
  (2) Planning of facilities development for the construction of a life-saving lifeline system

b) Research on communication methods between water service provider and users to encourage use of waterworks

• Purpose:
  To identify how users perceive Osaka City water service in terms of safety, comfort, convenience, cost advantage, and the like, and to develop methods for communication between the water service provider and users to encourage use of waterworks, including methods to effectively offer information and services
• Researcher in charge: Professor Sadahiko Ito, Kyoto University Graduate School
• Research period: FY2004-
• Research theme:
  (1) Development of communication methods between water service provider and users
  (2)Risk communication method

c) Research on the enhancement of the urban environment utilizing waterworks resources

• Purpose:
  To develop measures to enhance the urban environment through effective use of waterworks resources while focusing on the ability of waterworks systems to contribute to a healthy water cycle
• Researcher in charge: Professor Emeritus Minoru Mizuno, Osaka University
• Research period: FY2005-
• Research theme:
  (1) Evaluation of the cooling effectiveness of waterworks facilities in the urban area
  (2) Simulation of effects of expanding the use of waterworks for urban environmental water
  (3) Demonstration experiment on application of waterworks system for urban environmental water
  (4) Measures to develop and enhance purification and distribution facilities in consideration of the local environment

d) Research on the water purification system and water quality risk management methods for the construction of a high-standard system to supply purified water

• Purpose:
  To examine the water purification process and comprehensive water quality management methods in consideration of the water quality of the Yodo River, with a view to introducing a high-standard system to supply purified water and an advanced water quality risk management system to encourage increased use of the municipal water service as a source of drinking water、E/li>
• Researcher in charge: Professor Yoshimasa Watanabe, Hokkaido University Graduate School
• Research period: FY2005-
• Research theme:
  (1) Feasibility study concerning upgrading the advanced water purification system by the introduction of a new water purification process, and construction of a system to supply water of varying purification levels
  (2)Development of measuring method for comprehensive risk management of tap water quality

Members of Osaka City Waterworks Value-added Technology Development Committee (FY2006)

• External experts
  Chairperson: Professor Shiro Takada, Kobe University Graduate School
  Member: Professor Sadahiko Ito, Kyoto University Graduate School
  Member: Koichiro Matsumoto, former Senior Director of Osaka City Waterworks Bureau
  Member: Professor Yoshimasa Watanabe, Hokkaido University Graduate School
  Special member: Professor Emetitus Minoru Mizuno, Osaka University
• Osaka City Waterworks Bureau
  Member: Asahiro Ando, Director General
  Member: Yoshikazu Hayami, Director of Engineering Division
  Member: Masakatsu Eda, Director in charge of Water Purification
  Member: Kiyoshi Miyauchi, Director in charge of water supply and distribution
• Secretariat
  Planning, Engineering Division, Osaka City Waterworks Bureau

[Page Osaka City Waterworks Value-added Technology Development Committee under Technical Information under Guide to Waterworks on the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Website ends here.]