Between 1978 and 2008, China’s real GDP grew at an average annual rate of 10% and the country underwent rapid development. Improved living standards led to an increase in domestic wastewater, and in turn a five-fold increase in the number of urban sewage treatment plants in operation between 1997 and 2008. In 2010, a total of 2,832 sewage treatment plants were active, and the country’s wastewater treatment rate grew to 77.4%. On the other hand, the development of sewage treatment facilities in China’s rural areas was significantly behind. Around 97% of China’s more than 610,000 administrative villages were without drainage pipes and sewage treatment systems, and contamination from domestic and industrial wastewater was becoming a serious problem.^*2 As such, there was an urgent need for the rapid development and installation of wastewater treatment technologies and systems for China’s expansive rural areas and cities.

Kubota determined that its wastewater treatment plants, referred to in-house as Johkasou, would be the ideal solution to this issue. These wastewater treatment plants are on on-site system^*3 that require no sewage piping, and in addition to providing high-quality treated water, they are compact, making them comparatively easy to install. At the time, however, many people in China didn’t know what wastewater treatment plants were. In 2011, Kubota established Kubota Environmental Engineering (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. to undertake plant engineering and sales of membrane devices, wastewater treatment plants, and other products. This was the start of Kubota’s efforts to improve water quality in China, predominately in its rural areas.

To prepare for future local production of small-scale wastewater treatment plants that were ideally suited to the Chinese market, Kubota first decided to deliver components to China for assembly. The company also dispatched staff to China to provide guidance on assembly and sales. Despite the language barriers, local employees proactively went about the work. As wastewater treatment plants are made from lightweight material, some components were damaged in transit, which presented those involved with an unexpected challenge. By adjusting shipping methods, however, Kubota was able to largely prevent damage and guarantee supply of the components at no additional cost.

Kubota’s supply of wastewater treatment plants across China has only just begun. With its vast land area, there are still a huge number of regions in need of sewage treatment systems. It is essential that Kubota responds to these requirements using optimized methods that are in line with real local conditions. Looking ahead, Kubota will strive to tackle global water issues with all-Kubota technologies.