Issues such as the maintenance and management of water-related infrastructure facilities still remain. Clarifying individuals’ values regarding water is the foundation for sharing a vision of the society we should aim for and advancing the science of the water environment. Therefore, in this paper, we will introduce the six reports and general discussion from the symposium “Exploring individuals’ lives and values through water—what kind of water environment should we aim for?”. The reports covered a wide range of infrastructure, including water supply and sewage systems, flood control, and agricultural water systems, and encompassed studies from historical issues in ancient and modern times to future issues, making them highly interdisciplinary and diverse. At the same time, the reports confirmed a common “value people hold for water”.

Firstly, ensuring social fairness, such as distributive and procedural fairness, is one of the important foundations of individuals’ values regarding water. Fair water use is particularly threatened in times of disaster, highlighting the needs to have a pluralistic water supply and to share information at disasters. Secondly, the involvement of community members in water systems as a whole plays an important role in maintaining and passing on water infrastructure.