Tenchijin's Space Water Bureau Surpasses 50 Contracts with Local Governments

The Space Water Bureau Surpasses 50 Contracts

Tenchijin, a space venture accredited by JAXA and located in Chuo, Tokyo, has announced that its innovative water supply digital transformation solution, the "Space Water Bureau," has reached over 50 contracts with local governments. The number of contracts exceeded 30 in April 2025 and went over 40 by July of the same year, achieving this significant milestone just two months later in September. The rapid growth of contracts within a short period reflects the appreciation of many local governments and water service providers.

Tackling Undetected Risks

One of the primary challenges in urban infrastructure is the difficulty of assessing the condition of underground water pipes. Aging and hidden damage can lead to sudden leaks or road collapses, significantly disrupting daily life and urban functionality. In Japan alone, over 20,000 leak incidents occur annually, predominantly due to aging infrastructure. Many of these pipes were installed during the high-growth era of the 1960s and are over 40 years old, resulting in approximately 176,000 kilometers of aging pipes—equivalent to four times around the globe. The estimated renewal cost stands at around 200 million yen per kilometer, posing a crisis for municipalities nationwide.

Moreover, the increasing frequency of abnormal weather conditions due to climate change and seismic activities have intensified the risks related to these underground systems. Under difficult fiscal circumstances and a shortage of skilled engineers, it is not practical to renew all aging pipes. Tenchijin emphasizes the importance of understanding the underground risks through two key perspectives:

1. Identifying which pipelines are most likely to leak in the near future (detecting leak risks).
2. Assessing the importance of specific pipelines based on their function and the potential impact on critical facilities when they stop functioning.

These factors drive the approach of the Space Water Bureau.

What is the Space Water Bureau?

The Space Water Bureau utilizes satellite data to support sustainable water supply initiatives. Key features include:

1. Leak Risk Diagnosis and Hearing Survey Support

Using satellite data, Tenchijin's service enables a high-resolution risk diagnosis of pipelines, allowing for accurate assessments of current and near-future leak risks. It can also generate mesh-level risk diagnoses, helping to pinpoint areas likely to experience leaks, facilitating more effective maintenance and management.

2. Support for Renewal Planning Based on Local Characteristics

Based on pipeline diagnostic results, Tenchijin combines "healthiness" (leak risk diagnostic results) and "importance" (considering the impact on all facilities from homes to critical supply services like hospitals and schools). This leads to the development of multiple "renewal priority scenarios," tailored to local challenges and objectives, whether focusing on leak risks during normal operations or assessing social impacts in disaster scenarios. This approach helps establish reasonable and transparent renewal priorities for the pipelines.

Enhancements Based on Feedback from Local Governments

Tenchijin continuously works on improvements based on feedback from local governments. A new feature released in August 2025 allows for registering leak survey results on smartphones in as little as five seconds, streamlining the process and enhancing accuracy. By simply selecting a water pipe on a digital map, the system automatically populates the pipeline's attributes, eliminating the need for traditional paper diagrams and reducing manual transcription tasks.

Introduction of New Logo and Service Name

To celebrate overcoming the milestone of 50 contracts, Tenchijin has introduced a new logo and unified the service name to "Space Water Bureau" from the previous "Tenchijin Compass Space Water Bureau". This change recognizes the service's established identity as the name "Space Water Bureau" has become familiar to many local government personnel.

The new logo is inspired by Voronoi diagrams from computational geometry, a method used in infrastructure design that emphasizes the efficient distribution of resources and services. The design reflects the mission of the Space Water Bureau to maintain reliable water delivery—symbolizing an integral part of everyday life.

Additionally, this geometric pattern evokes images of water reflections and leaf vein structures, harmonizing with Tenchijin’s branding goal of blending technology with a relatable aesthetic drawn from the natural world.

A New Era for Water Services

The fundamental value of the Space Water Bureau lies in the integration of long-held municipal data with cutting-edge satellite technology. This fusion generates a new perspective on leak risk information, evolving traditional approaches like auditory surveys and renewal planning. Through this initiative, connecting past wisdom with future technologies, Tenchijin aims to create a new kind of water service that maximizes impact with limited resources.