Environment

Water Resources

Sustainability - Water Resources

Water Risk Assessments

Water Resources

Policy

The Meiden Group will work on implementing measures to promote water resource conservation activities by utilizing water resources efficiently and respond to water risk that impacts business activities, as a step toward conservation of the global environment and realization of a sustainable society.

We will contribute to the solution of a range of social issues relating to the conservation of water resources through our businesses.

Plan and Targets

The Meiden Group includes “promotion of water reuse” and “water safety” as part of the medium- to long-term “Environmental Vision.” We will work to preserve water resources through water conservation and effective utilization of rainwater; take steps to respond to water risks such as water shortages, flood, and contamination; and improve sanitation.

Initiatives

Water Risk Assessments

The Meiden Group conducts evaluation of water risk for initiatives to conserve water and comply with effluent standards. Using the Water Risk Filter, a water risk assessment tool distributed by the World Wide Fund for Nature, we assessed 16 production sites in 9 countries. We found that although domestic sites were within ordinary risk levels, 50% of overseas sites were located in high-risk areas. In particular, risks related to water quantity and quality assurance were found to be high. Some sites in India and China were found to be located in very high-risk areas. For these, we will take the optimal measures for each site based on assessment results.

Water Risk Assessment Results for Regions Where Production Bases are Located

Water Risk Assessment Results for Regions Where Production Bases are Located
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Reducing Water Consumption

Achievements ・ Data

Trends in Water Usage Volume (Japan)

Trends in Water Usage Volume (Japan)
Water Withdrawals, by Source (Japan)
FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022
Groundwater (1,000 m3) 943 1,626 1,344 1,728 1,552
Industrial water (1,000 m3) 80 70 87 43 22
Tap water (1,000 m3) 53 63 59 63 69

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  • *Water usage volume includes tap water, water for industrial use, and ground water.
  • *Measurement points were changed in fiscal 2021 in order to increase accuracy, there is no continuity with those in fiscal 2020 and before.

Trends in Effluent by Discharge Location (Japan)

Trends in Effluent by Discharge Location (Japan)
Trend in Water Quality Data (BOD Discharge) (Japan)
FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022
BOD 4,843 kg 6,424 kg 6,408 kg 4,474 kg

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Initiatives

The Meiden Group has been in business over 125 years. As such, some of the infrastructure at production sites has significantly deteriorated.

This is particularly true of the water infrastructure, which we are rebuilding as a special priority for BCP reasons.

At Numazu Works, one of our main production sites in Japan, we will begin building a large new combination water-purification tank in November 2023. To go with it, we are rebuilding the plant’s water supply and factory effluent systems. Nagoya Works and Ota Works, two other major production sites in Japan, are likewise aging. Their updates will be planned and implemented in turn.

[Overview of Project to Rebuild Water Infrastructure]

  1. (1)Remove 22 individual water-purification tanks to meet our obligation to make efforts related to Japan’s Private Sewerage System Act and improve the quality of treated effluent
  2. (2)Prevent leaks by bringing buried water supply pipes above ground (reduce water usage)
  3. (3)Strengthen control of quality and quantity of treated effluent by separating the factory effluent system from rain water
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Conservation of Water Resources: Initiatives through Business

Initiatives

Conservation of Water Resources: Initiatives through Business

Contributing to the Solution of a Range of Issues Relating to Conservation of Water Resources

In addition to design, construction, and execution of water treatment plants, the Meiden Group provides total support through to operation and maintenance as a general water treatment manufacturer, based on our record of involvement with construction and development of water and sewerage systems in Japan. We are contributing to the solution of a range of issues relating to the conservation of water resources through or water infrastructure systems business, which is one of our core businesses.

Contribution to Local Water Disaster Prevention Through Real-Time Flooding Updates
Delivery of Flooding Information System That Uses Smart Flood Level Rods to Saga City

We delivered a flooding information system that uses smart flood level rods (automatic flood level measurement rods) to Saga City. Saga City began using this system to provide a disaster prevention information service concerning flood levels to residents and others on April 25, 2022.

Saga City developed the Saga City Basic Plan on Wastewater Measures (March 2014) to deal with increasing flood risk due to rain inundation as a result of downpours increasing in frequency and severity in recent years due to climate change. The city aims to create a “city and populace that is resilient against flooding” by implementing software measures such as creating and disseminating hazard maps in addition to hardware measures such as installing pump stations, channels, and balancing reservoirs. As one of these measures, the city installed flood level rods in 83 locations in the city, and is actively promoting utilization of information for self, mutual, and public assistance to prevent disasters as part of increasing awareness of flooding.

Until now, flood level rods have been relied on for reading and reporting by citizens and disaster volunteers. Now, real-time disaster prevention information can be used for flood protection activities due to the expand of automatic measurement. Up to FY2021, we have partnered with Saga City to conduct demonstration experiments of real-time monitoring systems using automated flood level rods. The systems were installed in practical use in 29 locations throughout the city.

We received an order from Saga City to build a flood information provision system to notify residents, etc., with the aim of further utilizing disaster prevention information obtained through automated flood level rods (smart flood level rods), and delivered the system in March 2022.

What is a Smart Flood Level Rod?

A smart flood level rod is an IoT device comprising a rod (pole) fitted with a transmitter, an antenna, and a battery. It gathers flood information in real time, and provides it via the cloud computing.

Product Features

  • It is possible to wirelessly transmit, gather, and provide information via the cloud computing, using LPWA transmission devices fitted to rods
  • It is possible to supply power to sensors and transmission devices from batteries mounted on the rods
  • It is possible to monitor flood levels in real time, simply by installing rods on roads
<Diagram of smart flood level rod application>

Diagram of smart flood level rod application

Collaboration with Stakeholders: Partnerships with Outside Parties

The Meiden Group, in cooperation with its stakeholders in Japan and overseas, will pursue manufacturing that helps solve challenges such as Sustainable Development Goal 6 (which seeks clean water and sanitation for all) and Goal 14 (conservation of marine resources), sustainably create value, and work to solve social issues.

Order Taken for Tuas Water Reclamation Plant
Will Provide Ceramic Membranes with World’s Largest Treatment Capacity of 97,500 m3/Day

MEIDEN SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. (MEIDEN SINGAPORE) has received an order from Singapore enterprise Koh Brothers Building & Civil Engineering Contractor (Pte.) Ltd. for ceramic membranes for an industrial effluent MBR* facility at the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant of the Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB). This project is a new water reclamation plant to be built in western Singapore, scheduled for completion in 2025.

MEIDEN SINGAPORE will supply ceramic membranes with a treatment capacity of 97,500 m3/day to the plant. The Meidensha ceramic membranes to be delivered can help to save energy and will offer high durability, excellent chemical resistance, and long life.

  • *MBR: Abbreviation of membrane bioreactor, a technology that separates activated sewage. It uses membranes instead of conventional settling tanks to separate treated water and activated sludge from each other, thereby cleaning sewage and industrial effluent.

Under a 2010 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PUB for the joint development of water treatment technology, we have been conducting a demonstration study on industrial effluent treatment at the Jurong Water Reclamation Plant. In 2014, a 4,550 m3/day demonstration plant began operating at the Jurong site. Highly concentrated industrial effluent that had previously been difficult to reclaim was successfully reused. PUB made note of the achievements, which led to the recent order for ceramic membranes for the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant.

Tuas Water Reclamation Plant

Tuas Water Reclamation Plant
©2021 PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency

■About Ceramic Membranes

Appearance of ceramic membrane
Appearance of ceramic membrane
Cross-section diagram showing sewage filtration with ceramic membrane
Cross-section diagram showing sewage filtration with ceramic membrane
  • Ceramic membranes contain countless pores invisible to the human eye. The pores filter out impurities as sewage passes through.
  • The 6-mm-thick ceramic membrane has a hollow structure and collects clean filtered water through a collecting tube on the inner side.
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