Do you know the secret to Kumamoto’s tasty water?

Tap water in Kumamoto City has been sourced only from groundwater since the water supply service started on November 27, 1924. There is no city with a population of over 500,000 residents such as Kumamoto City where only groundwater is used for tap water.
In addition, sewers play important roles in the maintenance of water quality of neighborhood rivers, as well as in the reuse and effective use of valuable water and energy resources, thus contributing to the creation of a recycling society. Sewers’ roles are expanding, too. The Kumamoto City Water Science Museum is a place where people can learn about groundwater as a shared resource for Kumamoto’s citizens, about tap water that is sourced from groundwater, and about a sewage system that helps protect the environment.

Valuable water indispensable for people’s livelihood

We drink water, wash our faces, and brush our teeth every morning. A large amount of water is used for various purposes in various places: cooking, washing, cleaning, toilets, baths, swimming pools and other school facilities, factories and shops. Water is also necessary for extinguishing fires. The water supply service is essential for improving our daily lives, protecting our health, and enabling us to live.

Sources of tap water in Kumamoto City

The source of tap water in Kumamoto City is only groundwater. Rainwater and agricultural water sink into the “feeding ground,” which includes forests and farm fields, and then flow as groundwater toward Kumamoto City. We use this groundwater as “tap water” by pumping up from wells.

Secret to Kumamoto’s
Tasty Water

Tap water in Kumamoto City has been sourced only from groundwater since
the water supply service started on November 27, 1924.
There is no city with a population of over 500,000 residents such as Kumamoto City
where only groundwater is used for tap water.
In addition, sewers play important roles in the maintenance of water quality of neighborhood rivers,
as well as the reuse and effective use of valuable water and energy resources,
thus contributing to the creation of a recycling society. Sewers’ roles are expanding, too.
The Kumamoto City Water Science Museum is a place where people can
learn about groundwater as a shared resource for Kumamoto’s citizens,
about tap water that is sourced from groundwater,
and about a sewage system that helps protect the environment.

Usage Guide

• Hours

  9：00～17：00

• Closed

  Monday (or Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday), 12/29 to 1/3

• Entrance fee

  Free
  *Please reserve in advance when visiting with a group of more than 10 visitors or when using the Water Lab. *Please reserve in advance when using the training room for meetings or discussions about water, etc.

• Access

  Bus: 15min on foot from Hakenomiya stop (Kumamoto Dentetsu Bus)
  Train: 15min on foot from Hakenomiya Station (Kumamoto Dentetsu)

• Parking

  9:00 to 17:00
  Charge: free
  Spaces for 30 cars, 4 parking spaces for large vehicles

About the Museum

• Structure

  Single-story, steel reinforced concrete building

• Building area

  2,415㎡

• Gross floor space

  1,245㎡

• Building costs

  560,000,000 yen

• Construction period

  Start: Jan. 9, 1990
  Completion: Sep. 10, 1990

• Opening

  Oct. 27, 1990

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