Protecting water resources

Effective use of water resources


Our medium- and long-term target is to reduce water usage by 10 % per unit of sales by FY2030 compared with FY2020.
We are also working towards a short-term target of reducing water usage by 1 % per unit of sales compared with the previous year.

 

Results in FY2024 (non-consolidated):
・12.0 % reduction compared with FY2020

・13.3 % increase compared with the previous year.

The medium- and long-term target was achieved, but the short-term target was not.

*Calculation scope: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.

We recognize the importance of water resources and are working to reduce water usage and use recycled water. At Main Factory, half of the water resources used to produce pure water are supplied by recycled water, enabling us to reuse approximately 200,000 m3 of water resources per year.

Water use and wastewater management

  Unit FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Water 1,000 m3 [consolidated:879]
799
[consolidated:919]
840
[consolidated:855]
765
  Tap water 1,000 m3 [consolidated:150]
108
[consolidated:151]
108
[consolidated:157]
105
  Well water 1,000 m3 [consolidated:675]
637
[consolidated:692]
656
[consolidated:628]
590
  Industrial water 1,000 m3 [consolidated:54]
54
[consolidated:76]
76
[consolidated:70]
70
Wastewater 1,000 m3 [consolidated:831]
775
[consolidated:879]
824
[consolidated:817]
744
  Public sewer 1,000 m3 [consolidated:198]
148
[consolidated:195]
141
[consolidated:212]
140
  River discharge 1,000 m3 [consolidated:633]
627
[consolidated:684]
683
[consolidated:605]
604

* Calculation scope: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., domestic consolidated subsidiaries, and overseas consolidated subsidiaries (Up to FY2023, only manufacturing sites were included. From FY2024, non-manufacturing sites were also included.)

Note: The total of “Tap water” and “Industrial water” in this table corresponds to “Third-party sources” used by CDP, and “Well water” in this table corresponds to “Groundwater (renewable)” used by CDP.
Note: “River discharge” in this table corresponds to the total of “Fresh surface water” and “Groundwater” used by CDP, and “Public sewer” in this table corresponds to “Third-party destinations” used by CDP.

Hamamatsu Photonics monitors water intake and wastewater volumes at all of its factories and research facilities, based on the laws of Japan and its own criteria. Each month, third-party analytical organizations conduct wastewater analysis, testing wastewater at points just before the final discharge ports. If abnormal values are discovered, we immediately undertake to determine the causes and take appropriate measures, in strict compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Water risk assessment and countermeasures

Hamamatsu Photonics evaluates water risks of all manufacturing sites both Japan and overseas with water-risk evaluation tool “WRI Aqueduct.” As of January 2025, we confirm that all domestic sites have no significant water risks.
Meanwhile, a manufacturing site in China (Beijing Hamamatsu Photon Techniques, Inc.) has a high level of water risk. Therefore, we have analyzed and interviewed the water usage situation at the site and taken effective measures to reduce the amount of water intake. Risk assessment is conducted regularly.

The site with water risk*: Beijing Hamamatsu Photon Techniques, Inc. (China)

  Water intake(1,000 ㎥) Wastewater (1,000 ㎥) Water consumption (1,000 ㎥)
FY2022 34.1 18.7 15.4
FY2023 34.2 18.0 16.2
FY2024 39.2 22.5 16.7

* The site with water risk we defined here means that the site is evaluated by WRI Aqueduct as its “Baseline water stress” value is “High (40 - 80 %)” or higher, and/or its “Baseline water depletion” value is “High (50 - 75 %)” or higher.

In addition to WRI Aqueduct, we also assess water risks with local hazard maps such as “Hamamatsu City Disaster Prevention Maps” and “Ibaraki Digital Map.” 

Those maps show that Shingai Factory located near the Tenryu River is at risk of flooding. As its countermeasures, waterproof walls and buoyancy flip-up waterproof plates were installed at Shingai Factory Building No. 2 to mitigate flood damage.

 

Furthermore, Hamamatsu Photonics has participated in the CDP Water Security since 2016, and reported water risks our group has and countermeasures for them.

Installed waterproof walls and plates

Contribution to groundwater replenishment and forest conservation

•  Groundwater replenishment and forest conservation
To preserve groundwater in our region, Hamamatsu Photonics joins projects for groundwater replenishment and forest conservation as a member of council, that is composed of Iwata City Environmental Preservation Promotion Council and local groundwater users. Activities in those projects contribute to preserving groundwater replenishment level for future generations. In FY2023, we participated in a forest thinning project sponsored by the council.

• Afforestation for protection against tides
As other activities for biodiversity conservation and contribution to the local community, Hamamatsu Photonics joins the “~KALA Project,” which was initiated as part of the Hamamatsu Area Seawall Plan led by the government of Shizuoka Prefecture. This project aims to mitigate damage from tsunamis by planting trees on the inland side of seawalls. We have participated in their activities such as tree planting and mowing once or twice a year since 2017.

Contributions to replenishment of groundwater and preservation of forests

Contributions to replenishment of groundwater and preservation of forests

(Photo courtesy of: Iwata City)