Abstract
Modern waterworks in Japan started in Yokohama in 1887 with the aim of improving public health and living standards. In just over a century, the population served by water supply as a percent of the total population has exceeded
97%. The waterworks plays a key role in the social infrastructure to support people’s health and economic activities
in Japan. However, urgent issues in recent years that need to be addressed include the expansion of trace chemical
substances and water contamination, renovation of old purification facilities, shortage of skilled waterworks engineers, response to customer needs, and waterworks management. Membrane filtration has recently drawn attention
as an effective solution. This paper describes the research and development of the membranes filtration systems and
the introduction of membrane filtration facilities, as well as future prospects.
