OTO No.603

OTO No.	603	Classification	MOC-22
Date of Acceptance	December 1, 1999	Respective Office Receiving Complaint	Cabinet Office (Economic Planning Agency)
Responsible Ministries	Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Ministry of Construction)	Related Laws
Complainant	Domestic firm	Exporting Countries	UK
Subject	Establishment of performance standards for standard specifications of the Japan Sewage Works Agency
Description of Complaint	(1) Machinery used in construction work ordered by the Japan Sewage Works Agency (hereinafter, "the Agency") must conform to the standard specifications for machinery (hereinafter, "the specifications") issued by the Agency. The structural regulations for Progressive Cavity Pumps for Sludge (Processing) in the specifications call for "(a pump having) a connecting rod passing through two completely sealed universal joints, to ensure that rotary movement is transmitted smoothly from the motor to the rotor." (2) In many Progressive Cavity Pumps for Sludge (Processing) used in the United States and Europe, the motor and the rotor are connected by a flexible shaft, with a structure to "smoothly transmit rotary movement from the motor to the rotor." (3) Since sewage works projects ordered by local governments often follow the Agency's specifications, this in fact impedes competition and the specifications constitute a barrier to imports. (4) The specifications should be based on performance standards rather than structural standards, and the specifications should be changed to "(a pump having) a structure to smoothly transmit rotary movement from the motor to the rotor."
Details of Measures	1. The ministry replied as follows. (1) The Agency's specifications set out in detail the quality of materials, shape and dimension, mechanism and other manufacturing criteria as the minimum requirements to ensure the required performance of machinery for procurement. (2) When Progressive Cavity Pumps for Sludge (Processing) are used to supply sludge, in pumps using a flexible shaft the diameter of the shaft is generally smaller, and the shaft longer, compared to pumps using universal joints, and because of this, screen debris or hairs in the sewerage sludge tend to catch in the shaft and can easily lead to clogging. For this reason, Progressive Cavity Pumps for Sludge (Processing) using universal joints are the standard in the Agency's specifications. (3) The Agency's specifications, intended to ensure the performance of machinery, lay down standard specifications for the said machinery and are internal specifications. Accordingly, it is up to local governments to adopt their own or the Agency's specifications for sewerage works ordered by them. (4) The Agency's specifications are modified as necessary to reflect the latest technological trends, and if the complainant submits data showing that the above-mentioned problem does not occur with pumps using flexible joints which are the subject of this complaint, the Agency will study the issue, including whether or not to include this type of pump in its specifications. 1. After receiving this reply, the complainant and the Agency continued discussions of this matter. As a result, it was found that Progressive Cavity Pumps for Sludge (Processing) with a structure to attach a cover to the flexible shafts to prevent debris from catching in the shafts have little chance to cause clogging with screen debris or hairs catching in the shafts. Accordingly, the specifications were revised in July 2000 to include the Progressive Cavity Pumps for Sludge (Processing) using flexible shafts.
Status of Processing	Processed (June 20, 2000)	Classification of Action	A
Remarks	A written reply was made on December 14, 1999. A written reply was made on March 29, 2000. A written reply was made on June 19, 2000.