WATER REUSEPROMOTION
Tomorrow’s Water Resources
ZOSUI Technologies

CENTER

Outline of WRPC
Message
Besides being indispensable for human life, water is a fundamental substance forour social and economic activities.
Securing of water resources has, however, become a serious issue worldwide.
To cope with the shortage of water, the Water Reuse Promotion Center, or WRPC,
has made every effort to develop and spread new technologies in the fields of reuseof industrial/municipal water and desalination of sea water.
The results of our development have been put to practical use effectively both inJapan and abroad.
WRPC intends to work towards further development, and to transfer its advanced
technologies to countries suffering from the shortage of water and to contribute tothe protection of the global water environment.

President, WRPC

Kazuo Yamamoto

Emeritus Professor, the University of Tokyo
Interim President of Asian Institute of Technology■Position of WRPCEnterprise

WRPC
University andResearch institution

Technology development topromote open innovation

Government agency
andLocal government

Technology
promoting■Our Business(1) Research and Development of Water Treatment Technologies(2) Survey on Water Treatment Technologies(3) Dissemination of Water Treatment Technologies(4) Training on Water Treatment Technologies(5) Exchange/Cooperation with relevant organizations in Japan and abroad(6) In addition to the above, businesses necessary to achieve the purpose of this Foundation.
■Establishment

May 10, 1973

■Transformation

March 1, 2010 (change to a General Incorporated Foundation)■Fundamental Property

Fundamental Property 100 million Yen (as of March 31, 2023)■Organization
Councilor

Auditor

Project Evaluating Committee

Committees and Subcommittees

President
Board of Councilors

Board of Directors

Senior Managing DirectorDirectors■ Certified Persons
1. 9 Doctors of Engineering
2. 9 Professional Engineers
3. 6 Pollution Control Managers
4. 14 Other Certified Persons

Secretariat

General Aﬀairs Division
Engineering Division
Planning Oﬃce

■Concept of Water Treatment SystemDam

Water Purification

Paddy field

Water
Treatment
Plant

Water
Treatment
Plant
Urban Area

Urban Area

SewageTreatment
Plant

Water Reuse
SewageTreatment
Plant

Water Reclamation Plant

Water Recovery
and Reuse

Wastewater
treatment

Plant
SeawaterDesalination
Facility

Rationalization ofWater Usage■Major technical developments to date
1973

1980

1990

2000

●May 1973: Establishment of Foundation Water Reuse Promotion Center(Seawater Desalination Technologies)

2010

2020

●Mar. 2010: Change to General Incorporated Foundation●’74-Present: Development of energy saving desalination (RO, LNG freeze, Solar, etc.)●’79: Start 800 m3/d RO desalination pilot test●’77-’
85: Basic design of Okinawa Seawater Desalination Center (40,000 m3/d)●’
85: Pilot test of pervaporation process●’91-’
93: Basic survey of Fukuoka Desalination Center (50,000 m3/d)●’94-’
98: Feasibility study of Kagawa Seawater Desalination●’03-’
07: Pilot test of high salinity seawater desalination in Qatar●’06-’
12: Joint project for developing NF/RO/MED Hybrid System
17-’
20: Survey on the current situation of Fukuoka Desalination Center●’●‘21～’22：Technical advisory service for seawater desalination facility(Sewage reuse and water quality improvement)●’73: Pilot test of sewage reuse●’79: Technological development of membrane process for sewage reuse●’85-’
90: <Aqua-renaissance ’
90 project> Pilot test of small sized sewage reuse process●’89～’
91: Development of water circulation system in Space Station●’97-’
01: Cooperation program of water resource usage, the Philippines●’09-’
10: Technological development of low-cost sewage reuse process
16-Present: Development of energy saving MBR technology●’●’17-’
21: Eﬀective sewage treatment in rainy weather(Industrial wastewater reuse)●’
73: Pilot test of wastewater reuse in petrochemical and pulp industries●’
74: Technological development of steel factory wastewater reuse●’
80: Water treatment test for cleaning water quality in each industry●’
94: Technological development for anaerobic and methane fermentation of rice polishing wastewater
01-’
05: Pilot test of wastewater reuse of textile dyeing and food factories by use of MBR & RO, Thailand●’●’10-’
12: Technological development of produced water treatment
18-’
21: Joint program of water conservation for reﬁnery, UAE●’(Other)●’80-Present: Rationalization of water usage●’10-Present: Technical support program for water reuse, domestic and overseas●’14-Present: International standardization project for water reuseIntroduction of Projects
Seawater Desalination
Desalination is to produce fresh water such as potablewater by removing salt from seawater or brine waterusing mainly distillation or membrane (reverse osmosis)
technologies. Desalination plants in the world had
been constructed before the year 1900, and cumulative
total production from 1980 is 121 million m3/d (2022).
Installation records show that the reverse osmosis
process accounts for approx. 60% while the distillation
process makes up approx. 30%. Here at WRPC, we haveparticipated in basic design for a desalination plantin Okinawa for which a large-scale reverse osmosis
membrane technology was applied in Japan for the firsttime. We also participated in a survey on installation for
Fukuoka Desalination Center (Mamizu-Pia), which has thelargest capacity of seawater RO in Japan.
Vapor Compression
Distillation Process(with phase change)

Multi Eﬀect Distillation
Multi-Stage Flash Distillation

Desalination
Process

Forward Osmosis
Membrane Process(without phase change)

Electro Dialysis
Reverse Osmosis

Fukuoka Desalination Center (Mamizu-Pia) (photo credit: Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency)

Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
Wastewater reuse is to recycle treatedwastewater contaminated by usage. As
water is one of limited natural resources,
it is important to reuse and recycle water
for sustainable social development. There
are a variety of wastewater for reuse andrecycling such as factory wastewater,building wastewater, municipal sewage,and oilfield produced water. Here at WRPC,
we are investigating optimum techniques
for wastewater reuse and recycling byapplying various methods including themembrane process to meet the required
quality at recycled points.

Recycling
Factory wastewater

Recycling

Building wastewater

Water reuse technology (sand ﬁlter, adsorption, precipitation, membrane (RO, MBR, etc.), Ozone, UV, etc.)
Sewage treatment plant
Treated water

Reclaimed waterInternational Standardization
Establishing relevant international standards to augment waterreuse and strengthen international competitiveness of Japanesewater reuse technologies has progressed through public-private
partnership. In the technical committee of water reuse started in2013 in the ISO (International Organization for Standardization),
we WRPC engaged in establishment of standards for guidelines
for water reuse technologies. In the committee, we propose
new standards from the aspect of environmental performance,economy and technical characteristics by industry-academiagovernment cooperation. As of September 2022, new 30 standards
have been published by the technical committee of water reuse.
In order to share the results of our activities, seminars
through industry-government-academia collaboration have been
held.

Participants in International Conference of Technical Committeeof Water Reuse

Rationalization of Water Usage
The “rationalization of water usage” refers to not
only the effective use of water, but also reduction ofwastewater. That results in reduction of environmental
burdens through water saving, energy saving andwastewater reduction. Major technologies for attaining
this purpose include cascade use, circular use, recycling
and the use of water-saving devices. In order torationalize water usage with these technologies, it isnecessary to first have an accurate understanding of theactual water usage situation and then apply the mostappropriate rationalization methods suited to this usage.
Here at WRPC, we have surveyed the actual water
usage situation at more than 2,000 domestic and foreign
factories across a variety of industries and are engaged
in examining the rationalization of water use for thesefactories.
Evaluation with incorporating the concept of LCA (LifeCycle Assessment) is also conducted.

Technical Dissemination Activities
1) Overseas Technical Cooperation & Exchange Program
We are engaged in providing technical support tocountries suffering water shortage or water environment
deterioration, by dispatching experts and/or cooperatingin research. We are also engaged in an international
exchange program under which key government
officials and experts from foreign countries are invited toundertake technical training for Japan’s water production
and reuse technologies. In addition, we have held technicalseminars in foreign countries to introduce and promote
Japan’s advanced technologies also with online.

2) Dissemination of Water Production and Reuse
Technologies in JapanWRPC holds annual seminars, lectures and symposiums
in Japan about water production and reuse technologies.
Through these events and other opportunities, wecommunicate details about the status of water resources
in Japan, new water production and reuse projects
and experiment based technological progress with theaim of sharing knowledge about water production andreuse with related sectors and the general public, andproviding new insights into water production and reuseprojects.
We also disclose a database of our activities throughout
website.

Overseas Seminar (Embassy of Japan in Serbia)

Symposium for Water Production and Reuse

Consulting Service
Based on the accumulation of developing technologies
and diverse human resources, WRPC has conductedmany consulting services, for such as seawater

desalination, wastewater reuse, environmental
improvement, and market research both in Japan andoverseas.

Typical Examples of Technology Development
Overseas Technical Cooperation and Development in Seawater Desalination Technology
We are promoting human resources development throughproject implementation planning, verification tests andresearch cooperation in the Middle East, South America andAfrica as overseas activities regarding water desalination.
Recent examples are research cooperation with Sultan Qaboos
University in Oman and with QEWC (Qatar Electricity &Water Co.).

Opening Ceremony for Research Cooperation
Project in Qatar•Development of the NF/RO/MED Tri-hybrid method
efficient seawater desalination technology
With the cooperation with SWCC (Saline Water ConversionCorp.) in Saudi Arabia and Sasakura Engineering Co., Ltd., ahybrid desalination system has been developed to cope witha substantial increase in water production, by removing scaleforming components in seawater using the NF membraneand raising distillation temperature in the MED (Multi EffectDistillation) desalination process.

Opening Ceremony for Tri-hybrid Desalination Pilot
Plant in Saudi Arabia

Pilot Plant for Tri-hybrid Desalination in Saudi
ArabiaResearch Cooperation with Private Enterprises and Academia
We WRPC are conducting joint research and developmentwith private enterprises and academia. Especially in Water Plazain Kita-kyushu city, joint research has been conducted for various
projects from 2014.

Facility
Classiﬁcation* Furthermore, in 2022, WRPC has contracted withKitakyushu City to operate and manage the facility, as well
as develop energy-saving membrane separation activatedsludge equipment.
In addition, on the facility, there is a testbed that enables
the development of advanced water treatment systems
by utilizing of sewage and seawater. WRPC are looking
forward to use of various organizations.
WRPC has managed on researchdevelopment in this facility.

YearProject name
‘14

‘15

‘16

‘17

‘18

‘19

‘20

Veriﬁcation test for energy saving MBR
International standardization for water reuse using
MBR (Sponsored by METI)MBR (500～1,000m3/d)

Development of energy saving biological treatment
with intermittent aeration (Joint research with private
enterprises and university)
Development of MBR technology with carrier
addition (Joint research with private enterprises anduniversities)
Verification test for energy saving MBR (Jointresearch with private enterprise)

TestbedEﬀective sewage treatment system in rainy weather(Joint research with private enterprises and university
sponsored by MLIT)
Development of sewage treatment technology withlow cost and low energy consumption (Joint researchwith universities)
Performance evaluation test of reused RO membrane(RO Pilot Plant) (Joint research with university)

Water Plaza Kita-kyushu (provided by Kita-kyushu city)

MBR Plant

Testbed

‘21

‘22

‘23

‘24

Activities Relating to Government Organizations
1） Development of Application of large poremembrane and biological treatment to Effective
Sewage Treatment System in Rainy Weather
The project includes high accuracy estimation ofinfluent flow and quality at the time of rain by using ofICT（Information and Communication Technology）onobservation technology.
The objective was to develop a system for treating
infiltrated water during rainy weather that efficiently
treats water by using of large-pore membranes while
maximizing the treatment capacity of existing sewage
facilities.
This activity is entrusted as a feasibility study for theInnovative Sewerage Technology Demonstration Project（B-DASH Project）, sponsored by MLIT（Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure and Transportation）in 2020 to 2021.

2) Verification Test for Local and Temporary
measures against a water bloom in the Moat ofImperial Palace in Tokyo.
This test is to verify the effectiveness of natural
coagulants locally and temporarily to remove a waterbloom which may increase during Tokyo Olympic Gamesin Summer. This work is a contract business from theMinistry of the Environment in 2018.

Scattering of natural coagulants over the moat of Imperial Palace (Chidori-ga-fuchi)

Technology Evaluation System
This activity is to evaluate advanced technologies
and introduce them into the area of water reuse andproduction through the technology evaluation committee
composed of academic knowledge. In seawater

desalination, energy recovery system, pretreatment
membrane for highly contaminated water, and TOC（Total Organic Carbon）meter for high salty water are
evaluated and developed through this committee.

Recent Major Research Projects◦ Development of a practical scale FO membrane module for ultra-energy-saving sewage treatment (2021-2022), City of Kitakyushu◦ Advisory service for seawater desalination project (South East Asia) (2021-2022), Private enterprise◦ Market research on indoor circulation type aquaculture business (2021), Private enterprise◦ Research on usable amount of nitrogen compounds derived from industrial activities (2020-2021), Private enterprise◦ Technical Cooperation Program for the Water Environmental Conservation of the ADNOC Refinery (UAE) (2018-2021), JCCP
◦ Valuable metal recovery technology in oilfield produced water (2018-2021), JOGMEC◦ Survey of current Seawater Desalination Facilities (2017-2020), Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency◦ Establishment of international standards for water usage in international industrial sectors (2016 to present)◦ International standardization for water reuse (2014 to present), METI and Private enterprise◦ Joint Venture of Formation Water Treatment Technology in Refineries in Southern Regions of Iraq (2010 to present), JCCP
◦ Examination and instruction for rationalization of groundwater usage (2000 to present), Ishikawa prefecture◦ Development of Energy Saving Technology for the MBR Equipment (2016-2018), Kita-kyushu city
◦ Investigation of new evaluation criteria for efficient usage of water (2016 – 2018), JKA◦ Support work for the PPP business survey for worldwide sewage treatment (2016), Private enterprise◦ Survey of Current Seawater Desalination Equipment and Future Trends(2016), JSTRA◦ Study on Treatment Technology of Water-soluble organic substance in Produced water (2014-2015), JOGMEC◦ Training project on seawater desalination for Kuwait Ministry of Electricity and Water (KEW)(2013, 2016, 2018), JCCME◦ Survey for rationalization of water usage for various industries (2013-2015), JKA◦ Development of UF membrane pretreatment technology for Seawater RO desalination (2012-2013), JKA◦ Procurement assistance for a desalination plant for Bangladesh (2010-2011), JICS and a private enterprise◦ Technical assistance for a desalination plant in Tunisia (2010-2011), private enterprise
JCCP: Japan Cooperation Center for Petroleum and Sustainable Energy
JOGMEC: Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation
METI: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
JKA: Japan Keirin Autorace foundation
JSTRA: Japan Ship Technology Research Association
JCCME: Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East
JICS: Japan International Cooperation System

Members of Water Reuse Promotion Center
Members of Water Reuse Promotion CenterGovernment members

Corporate members

Local Government
Fukushima Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefectural Government
Chiba Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Kanagawa Prefectural Government
Toyama Prefecture
Aichi Prefectural Government
Osaka Prefectural Government
Hyogo Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
Kagawa Prefectural Government
Ehime Prefectural Government
Okayama Prefectural Government
Yamaguchi Prefecture
Fukuoka PrefectureOita Prefectural Government
Okinawa Prefecture
Kawasaki City
City of Yokohama
City of Nagoya
City of Osaka
Amagasaki City
Kobe City
Matsuyama City
City of Kitakyushu
Fukuoka City
Nagasaki City

Water Industries
Ace Water Treatment Co., LTD.
Asahi Kasei Corp.
Asahi Kasei Home Products Corporation
AGC Engineering Co., Ltd.
Awa Paper ＆ Technological Company, Inc.
Chiyoda Corporation
DMW CORPORATION
F. C. C. Co., Ltd.
Fracta Leap Inc.
FUSO Corporation
Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi Zosen Corporation
Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd.
KUBOTA Corporation
Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
Kyowakiden Industry Co., Ltd.
Lumilite Japan Co., LTD.
Maezawa Industries, Inc.
MEIDENSHA CORPORATIONMETAWATER Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Chemical Aqua Solutions Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
MIURA CO.,LTD.
NAGAOKA INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONNIHON SUIKO SEKKEI CO.,Ltd.
NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO.,LTD.
Nitto Denko Corporation
ORGANO CORPORATION
Sanki Engineering Co., Ltd.
Sasakura Engineering Co., Ltd.
Shin-Ei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
SOUGOUMIZU INSTITUTE, LTD.
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
Swing Corporation
Tokyo Water Co., Ltd.
Toray Industries, Inc.
TOYOBO CO., LTD.
Toyo Engineering Corporation
TSUKISHIMA KIKAI CO., LTD.
WOTA CORP.
ZEOLITE CO., LTD.

Major Industrial Water Consumers Group
Japan Petrochemical Industry AssociationPetroleum Association of Japan
Japan Industrial Water Association
The Japan Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers
Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation
Japan Fertilizer & Ammonia Producers Association
The Association of Filtration and Puriﬁcation Industry

Bank and Financial Organizations
Aozora Bank, Ltd.
Nonlife Insurance
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd.

WATER REUSEPROMOTION CENTER
Fukuda Building 4-5, Nihonbashi-Yokoyamacho,Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0003. JAPANTel +81-3-5644-7565
Fax +81-3-5644-0686
E-mail address：zosui@wrpc.jp
URL：http://www.wrpc.jp

2023.3