Veolia Group
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Managing the water supply and the Japanese way of life

In Japan, Veolia manages every aspect of the public water service for the city of Hakone, west of Tokyo. That includes supplying water to the onsen, the traditional Japanese baths.
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THE JAPANESE WAY OF LIFE

Natural hot spring baths, known as onsen, are an essential element of the Japanese lifestyle. The baths in Hakone have won a reputation throughout Japan and attract many tourists. As part of its duties in managing the public water service for the city of Hakone, Veolia operates the system that supplies untreated hot spring water to these traditional onsen. Some 5,000 cubic meters of raw water is pumped each day from a reservoir located 400 meters below the plant.
 

A COMPREHENSIVE CONTRACT THAT'S UNIQUE IN JAPAN

Veolia is the only private foreign operator in Japan to have been awarded comprehensive responsibility for water services as part of a delegated public service contract. The five-year contract in Hakone includes operating, maintaining and renovating the water production and distribution facilities as well as customer service. A quality water supply is especially critical in this tourist spot. Hakone is the preferred summertime destination for Tokyo residents, hosting thousands of visitors each year.

In a country where public-private partnerships are a recent phenomenon, Veolia became the first private foreign partner in the water sector thanks to the quality of its services and its technological innovation.
Régis Calmels
Senior Executive Vice President Asia

 

Key Figures

20,000 cubic meters of drinking water produced daily

5,000 cubic meters of water supplied daily to the onsen

Customer benefits

  • Operational excellence: improved network efficiency, real-time monitoring of facilities, improved water quality
  • Controlled costs and investment
  • A high level of satisfaction with service quality among residents 

Solutions

  • Water treatment: engineering and construction, production, operation and maintenance
  • Water transport: network design and installation, distribution
  • Customer relations: multi-channel customer relations and management, customer account management, metering
  • Asset management
  • Human capital and management: personnel management, continuing education