Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology—AQUA Vol 56 No 6–7 pp 365–373 © IWA Publishing 2007 doi:10.2166/aqua.2007.011

New water supply technology and development of water utility management in Japan

Yasumoto Magara, Yoshihiko Matsui and Koichi Ohno

The Japanese government published “The Water and Sanitation Broad Partnership Initiative (WASABI)” in March 2006. This initiative was based on the policies that Japan will support the self-help efforts of developing countries on water and sanitation, establishing broad partnerships with international organizations, and the other donor agencies, etc. Because water resources are very limited, there are many areas and regions which have to use a heavily polluted water source. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the emergent water treatment technology which can supply safe drinking water from polluted source water at a reasonable cost.

In order to anticipate a sustainable development of water service the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare published “The Water Works Vision” so as to restructure the water utility management system in 2004. The vision asks to reform the water utility management system so as to mobilize every resource including public private partnership. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an audit system by a third party for risk communication among the stakeholders.

Keywords: audit system; cancer risk; ISO/TC224; nano-filtration; public private partnership; The Water Works Vision

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