From Daily Leak Surveys to Long-Term Pipe Renewal, Satellite Data and AI Now Support Water and Sewer Decisions Nationwide
TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 16 September 2026 – Tenchijin Inc., a space-tech innovator founded as a JAXA venture, announced that “Tenchijin COMPASS KnoWaterleak,” its water DX solution using satellite data to support sustainable water utility management, has surpassed 100 cumulative municipal contracts*. (*Including renewals)
Since launching in April 2023, the service has been adopted and renewed by utilities across Japan, expanding from leak risk assessment into pipe renewal planning and, most recently, inspection planning for sewer pipelines.
Addressing Risks Hidden Underground
Japan records over 20,000 leakage incidents a year, mostly caused by aging pipes. Roughly 189,000 km of the network is now over 40 years old (Japan Water Works Association, FY2023), and renewal costs around JPY 200 million per kilometer. With tight budgets and a shrinking technical workforce, replacing every aging pipe is unrealistic, so Tenchijin takes a preventive-maintenance approach.
Supporting the Decisions That Protect Daily Water
First trialed with Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, KnoWaterleak applies AI to satellite data combined with utilities’ own pipe and leak-history records, and field teams use the results to prioritize where to survey. For renewal planning, Tenchijin weighs pipe condition alongside “importance,” reflecting the homes, hospitals, schools and evacuation centers each line serves, to generate renewal priority scenarios. The same approach now supports sewer inspection planning.
Recognition and What Comes Next
KnoWaterleak is listed in the Water and Sewerage DX Technology Catalogue published by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Tenchijin will launch “KnoWaterleak Cloud” in FY2027, a browser-based service for viewing pipe network maps on site, with early access open to 100 utilities from 1 September 2026. To mark the milestone, the company has also released its first brand film on YouTube.
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Hashtag: #Tenchijin #KnoWaterLeak #SatelliteData #AI #WaterInfrastructure #Sustainability
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Tenchijin Inc.
Tenchijin Inc. is a space technology company developing satellite-data solutions for infrastructure management. Its flagship product, Tenchijin COMPASS KnoWaterleak, combines satellite data and AI to detect and prevent water leaks, achieving up to 65% cost reduction and 85% time savings in field tests, and received the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Prize at the 7th Infrastructure Maintenance Grand Prize.
