Installation of "Water Stand" in Cooperation with Local Governments
WATERSTAND CO., LTD.
| Publication date | March 11, 2021 (Posted on August 1, 2022) |
|---|---|
| Sector | Human Health / Life of Citizenry and Urban Life |
Company Overview
Established in 1969, we started off with the dust control business as a franchisee of Sanikleen Tokyo Co., Ltd. In July 2018, with the aim of contributing to the achievement of SDGs, we shifted our core business to the rental business of “Water Stand”, which is a type of water dispenser that is directly connected to the water supply. We changed our corporate name from Just Co., Ltd. to WATERSTAND CO., LTD., and in February 2020, we formulated our mission to "pass on a better global environment to the future generations.”
Climate Change Impacts
Since we were originally engaged in the bottled water dispenser business, we had strong concerns about drought caused by climate change and mountain disasters caused by the extremely heavy rainfall.
The risk of heat stroke occurring in summer has also been increasing in the recent years, and in the summer of 2020 (June to August), extreme heat continued in eastern Japan and Okinawa/Amami Islands. An increase in the number of heat stroke cases has been reported accross the country, and there is an urgent need to address the vulnerable groups of population such as senior residents and children.
Adaptation Initiatives
The water dispensers that we rent tastes as good as bottled drinking water because it is directly connected to the water supply. Moreover, it does not require any form of transportation or disposal of plastic bottles (Fig.1).
With these environmental advantages, we have set up "Water Stand” in public facilities where anyone can fill their own bottles free of charge, based on a cooperative agreement with the local governments to reduce the use of single-use plastics (Fig. 2).
Effects / Expected Benefits
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recommends the intake of 2.5 liters of water per day for adults, and our system that makes it possible to supply free water is considered to lead to the prevention of heat stroke and avoidance of heat exhaustion, particularly when people have gone out of their houses.
As of the end of January 2021, the following local governments have signed a partnership agreement to reduce single-use plastic bottles: Saitama City, Hayama Town (Kanagawa Prefecture), Tokorozawa City, Kyoto City, Kamakura City, Setagaya Ward (Tokyo), Odawara City, and Tatebayashi City (Fig. 3). The number of single-use plastic bottles discharged from Hayama Town Hall in 2020 (April) was reduced by 94% compared to 2019 (April).
Fig. 1 Image of a “Water Stand”
Fig. 2 The future that we envision
Fig. 3 “Water Stand” installed in Saitama City
