Sinkhole Disaster Boost Sales of Water-Saving Products; Saitama Residents Asked to Lessen Use of Sewer System

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:09 JST, February 10, 2025

In the 12 cities and towns where the Saitama prefectural government has called on people to reduce their sewer system use since a major sinkhole opened at an intersection in Yashio in the prefecture, local stores have seen a rise in sales of water-saving products.

Lowering the water level in the sewers is essential to the search for the driver of a truck that fell into the sinkhole while driving on the prefectural road. The man became trapped, and his safety is now unknown. The rise in sales of such products is a reflection of cooperation among the approximately 1.2 million people living in the target areas. 

At a home-center chain store of Cainz Corp. in Uruido, Hasuda, a special display was set up on Jan. 28 near the entrance to sell water-saving products, including paper plates, paper cups, and hoses for reusing bath water. On that day, the prefectural government began calling for people in the neighboring areas to reduce their use of the sewer system.

Among fairly popular items are tablets to prevent odor and sliminess in water left in bathtubs. On Jan. 29 and 30 in particular, sales of the tablets increased to about five times greater than usual.

The store manager said, “We’d like to help people live with the minimum inconvenience even while the call for self-restraint from the prefectural government continues.”

Kao Corp., which sells the tablets, said that shipments of the product to the prefecture from Feb. 3 to 7 soared by about 50% compared to the corresponding period last year.

Reheating water left in a tub can reduce wastewater by 120 to 160 liters, the company said.

The company analyzes, “The prefectural government’s request for restraint in sewerage use may have caused the increase in sales, as we are not currently making any particular sales drive for the product, which has been on the market since 1982.”

Local restaurants are also making their own efforts.

A Pakistani restaurant near the site of the sinkhole, “Karachi no Sora” (Karachi sky) bought approximately 300 paper plates right after the prefectural government’s request was issued.

“My customers show their understanding [about the use of paper plates]. If each one of us cooperates, the situation will surely get better,” said the 59-year-old operator of the restaurant.