A demonstration by Meidensha Corporation (Meiden) and six other parties that will use information and communications technology (ICT) to monitor and control sewage facilities across a single municipality will be conducted for the government’s fiscal 2021 Breakthrough by Dynamic Approach in Sewage High Technology Project (B-Dash Project)*.

This Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism project will be conducted as research commissioned by the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management. Meiden and the six other parties – Japan Sewage Works Agency; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems and Solutions Corp.; Hitachi Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corp.; Metawater Co., Ltd.; and Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture – will design and construct a real-scale demonstration facility and jointly conduct research.

The experiment is designed to establish a high-tech system that can monitor and control sewage networks across a single municipality. This system features two component technologies – the “common protocol method” and “remote desktop method,” in which multiple monitoring and controlling systems installed in sewage facilities can be integrated without a major overhaul.

Component technologies and their advantages

■Technology 1: Common protocol method
This stipulates a common communications protocol to connect systems made by different manufacturers. This makes it possible to standardize communications methods and connect different systems across a municipality via control terminals.

■Technology 2: Remote desktop method
Under this method, a remote desktop server is installed at facilities equipped with systems made by different manufacturers. Designated terminals can access the server to manage such facilities across the municipality.

■Applied technology: Integrating the remote desktop and common protocol methods
Combining these two technologies, as appropriate, would make existing systems capable of monitoring operations, controlling the facilities, and producing reports, which are essential for managing sewage facilities in a wide area. It allows management to respond flexibly to any changes to the sewage situation in these systems.

Experiment outlines



In this demonstration, a monitoring and controlling system, consisting of the common protocol and remote desktop methods, will be installed at Kurashiki City Hall; the Mizushima, Kojima and Tamashima sewage treatment plants; Mabi Water Purification Plant; and the Kurashiki rainwater storage center. This project will demonstrate the system’s communication reliability and stability as well as its ability to reduce construction and maintenance costs.

As a company supporting Japan’s social infrastructure, Meiden is committed to developing products and services that operate and maintain sewage systems.

*Launched in fiscal 2011, the government-led B-Dash Project facilitates the development and use of new technologies to address various problems facing sewage operations. Under this project, real-scale facilities are established to verify technologies and guidelines compiled to promote the adoption of innovative technologies across Japan.

Press contacts:

Corporate Communications & PR Promotion Division
e-mail: kouhou@mb.meidensha.co.jp