Privatization of Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Affiliated Organization

The Osaka City Waterworks Service Association, an external organization affiliated with the Waterworks Bureau, was established in 1969 for the purpose of contributing to the improvement of the welfare of Osaka City residents by cooperating in the rational, economic management of the city’s waterworks, and has played an important role. In April 2007, in line with the city’s policy that organizations should be integrated and restructured so that a single organization is responsible for each major policy area, the Osaka Municipal Waterworks Technology Association was dissolved and its operations continued by the Service Association, integrating the two organizations affiliated with the Waterworks Bureau. 

Although the Service Association has contributed in the past to the improvement of the welfare of Osaka City residents by cooperating in the rational, economic management of the city’s waterworks, the environment in which it operates has undergone major changes, including the reform of the public-service corporation system and in-depth investigation of the reasons underlying single-tender contracts. For this reason, the Service Association has been turned into a private company through the establishment on April 16, 2008 of Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd. The objective is to improve its management practices and give it a higher level of independence in place of its current dependence on business contracted from the Bureau, by pressing forward with the development of new areas of business that fit the needs of other business organizations and promoting rigorous, effective management.

The Service Association was dissolved at the end of June 2008, and from July 1 its operations were taken over and continued by Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd. Today, by actively making use of this corporation to carry out jobs managed directly by the Bureau for which it possesses the appropriate business know-how and can implement efficient management, a healthy partnership with the Bureau is being developed that is expected to lead to improved and enhanced customer services for Osaka City waterworks.
At the same time, in order to continue to play this role in future, Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd. must establish a stable business foundation by working to improve its management practices and increase its independence from the Bureau, through the development of autonomous business projects underpinned by its technological capabilities. The company looks forward to doing business with a range of customers in future.

Outline of Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd.

Regarding reorganization of the two affiliated organizations (namely Osaka Municipal Waterworks Service Association and Osaka Municipal Waterworks Technology Association) under the supervision of the Waterworks Bureau, the Technology Association was dissolved and absorbed by the Service Association on April 1, 2007. (The organizational management system of the Service Association may be changed depending on the results of analysis by management consultants.)

• Business Name

  Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd.

• Head Office

  6-28 Minamiogimachi, Kita-ku, Osaka City

• Head Office

  6-28 Minamiogimachi, Kita-ku, Osaka City

• President
  Toyomi Yamada
  

• Date of Establishment

  April 16, 2008

• Date of Start of Business
  July 1, 2008

• Capital
  170 million yen

• Capital reserve
  170 million yen

• Business Areas
  

  (1) Management and operation of waterworks facilities and associated facilities
  (2) Design and supervision of waterworks facilities and associated facilities
  (3) Examination and diagnosis of waterworks facilities
  (4) Operations as inspecting agency for small-scale private water supply systems under Item 2, Paragraph 2 of Article 34 of the Water Supply Law
  (5) Accepting inquiries about waterworks
  (6) Reading water meters and collecting payment for water bills
  (7) Upkeep, operation, and management of waterworks systems
  (8) Upkeep, operation, and management of disaster information systems
  (9) Training, dissemination of knowledge, and education concerning waterworks
  (10) Dispatch of temporary workers
  (11) Surveys, research, and development of waterworks
  (12) Waterworks-related assistance in times of disaster
  (13) All operations attendant on or related to the foregoing

  
  

Content of Review Based on the Reform Manifesto of the Director of the Waterworks Bureau

Of the two affiliated organizations supervised by the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau, the Osaka Municipal Waterworks Technology Association was first dissolved and integrated into the remaining organization, the Service Association on April 1, 2007. On June 30, 2008 the Service Association was also dissolved, and Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd. started doing business on July 1, 2008.
The target of increasing our earnings from commission fees by at least 30% (in comparison with the FY2004 budget) by FY2007 has been achieved in the FY2007 budget (increased by 36% in comparison with the FY2004 budget).
The target for decreasing the use of temporary staff (an 80% reduction in temporary staff by FY2010), was achieved in April 2008 (the number of temporary staff was reduced from 51 in FY2005 to eight in 2008, an 80% reduction) in the effort to decrease payroll and associated costs by reducing the number of staff (by such means as streamlining administrative departments through integration and an early retirement system for directly employed staff) and reviewing the salary system and levels of directly employed staff.

The review process will continue on the basis of the Reform Manifesto of the Director of the Waterworks Bureau and other resources, with the aim of enabling even more efficient operation and providing higher standards of service by organizations affiliated with the Waterworks Bureau.

Osaka City Waterworks Service Association (current Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd.) (PDF: 15KB) (Japanese only)

Related information

Website of Osaka Municipal Waterworks Service Association (will open in a separate window)

Website of Water Museum (will open in a separate window)

Outline of Osaka City Waterworks Service Association (current Osaka Water General Service Co., Ltd.) (PDF: 11KB)

[Page Ownership of Water Service Installation under Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Affiliated Organization (External Organization) under Management Information under Guide to Waterworks on the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Website ends here.]