2006 Environmental Report Published

―Our environmental measures are summarized in the report E/h3>

In our effort to promote greater public understanding of waterworks, especially its environmental aspects, the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau has published the  E006 Environmental Report, Ein which our efforts toward environmental preservation and the results of such efforts are summarized. This report has been made available to the public, and distributed as requested at the General Affairs, General Affairs Division of the Waterworks Bureau, the Water Museum, and service offices since May 31, 2007. This report is also posted on the Waterworks Bureau website.
The  E006 Environmental Report Ehighlights demonstration experiments of mist spray, a new technology making use of waterworks to alleviate the heat island effect, while also introducing environmental impact mitigation measures implemented at the Comprehensive Administration Building of the Kunijima Water Purification Plant.
In addition, we have created a leaflet entitled “Environmental Accounting, Ea digest version of the environmental report including mainly financial data, for quick perusal.
We will continue to produce and publish annual environmental reports and incorporate environmental concerns expressed in the reports into the planning of future services, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of our environmental preservation efforts.

What is an Environmental Report?
An “Environmental Report, Eone of the environmental communciation tools, is defined as a report produced by businesses or other service providers in order to compile the environmental message of their upper-level management, their policies, goals and action plans for environmental preservation, their environmental management performance, and their efforts to reduce environmental impact for public viewing, thereby ensuring proactive disclosure of information to customers (citizens) and fulfilling their administrative accountability.

[Major Focus of the 2006 Environmental Report]

• Research on the potential of waterworks infrastructure to improve the urban environment
  This research project aimed at identifying possible ways of effectively using the distribution pipe network and purification and distribution plants in urban areas to mitigate urban heat island effect. Through demonstration experiments, researchers confirmed the effectiveness and practicability of mist spray, a new technology for mitigating heat island effect.
• Efforts toward environmental impact mitigation at the Comprehensive Administration Building of the Kunijima Water Purification Plant
  The Waterworks Bureau has upheld environmental protection as its basic policy for facility development. The Comprehensive Administration Building of the Kunijima Water Purification Plant is committed to measures for energy-saving and heat island effect mitigation

Other topics covered in the environmental report

1) Environmental impacts of the purification process

The report includes the material flow, indicating power consumption, amount of sludge from purification plants, and CO2 emissions during the water intake, purification and distribution processes, which constitute a major portion of waterworks.

2) Water quality control and prevention of land subsidence

As examples of our environmental preservation efforts, “water quality monitoring by water examination laboratories Eand “measures for preventing land subsidence (industrial water service) Eare described.

3) Efforts to reduce environmental impact

Among our efforts to reduce environmental impact caused by our business activities, topics such as “hydroelectric generation E “energy-saving measures Eand “recycling and reduction of dehydrated cake Eare highlighted.

4) Environmental indicators

Using environmental indicators, we show the environmental loads, such as the consumptions of electricity and chemicals per unit of water supplied, as well as their yearly changes.

5) Environmental accounting

Environmental accounting is a mechanism for identifying, assessing and disclosing the cost and effects of our environmental preservation efforts as quantitatively as possible (in monetary or material terms).

6) Environmental communications

The report presents the Waterworks Bureau’s PR and public hearing activities to promote water source environmental preservation and raise public awareness regarding waterworks.

Locations Where the FY2006 Environmental Report is Available for Viewing and Distribution

• General Affairs, General Affairs Division
  1-14-16 Nanko Kita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka 559-8558
  Tel: 06-6616-5403,Fax: 06-6616-5409
• Water Museum
  1-3-1 Kunijima, Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka 533-0024
  Tel: 06-6324-3191,Fax: 06-6324-3114
• Service offices or service stations

Environmental Reports can be downloaded here. (Japanese only)

Adobe Reader is required to download samples of the following environmental reports.

• 2006 Environmental Report (Financial Results of FY2005) (PDF: 2.0MB)
• 2006 Environmental Accounting (Digest Version) (PDF: 570KB)
• 2005 Environmental Report (Financial Results of FY2004) (PDF: 2.2MB)
• 2004 Environmental Report (Financial Results of FY2003) (PDF: 4.4MB)
• Financial Results of FY 2002 (PDF: 944KB)

[Page Environmental Report under Environmentally Friendly Initiatives under Guide to Waterworks on the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Website ends here.]