The Japanese Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program) has granted ¥ 2.924 billion (US$ 33 million) to the Mega-Ton Water System project to research and develop new technologies in the water supply industry.
Dr Maseru Kurihara, who has been given a new title of Fellow by Toray Industries Inc, has been appointed senior scientific director of the project. He told D&WR that one aim of the project, which has a staff of over 100 drawn from universities and water industry companies in Japan, will be to halve the cost of constructing a plant to desalinate a million cubic metres of water.