Waco Puts Digital Signage on Smart Water Refill Stations in Tokyo Trial
2026-09-03 · via invidis
South Korean water purification equipment maker Waco has built a digital display into its redesigned Atlas public water refill station, adding a communication layer to a product that has traditionally been purely functional plumbing.
The company installed two units at supermarkets in Tokyo's Shinjuku district in November 2025 as part of a proof-of-concept trial, according to Waco. Shoppers used the stations in a live retail setting and gave feedback through interviews and surveys.
Atlas dispenses ambient and chilled purified water and also washes and sterilizes reusable bottles and tumblers, using UV LED technology for hygiene management. The built-in screen displays information for users, while an IoT-based system lets operators monitor the equipment and handle maintenance remotely.
For signage operators, the maintenance angle is the more interesting part of this story. Remote monitoring of a device that touches water, UV sterilization and public hygiene is a different proposition than remotely checking whether a media player in a shopping mall has crashed. It points to a broader pattern of consumer infrastructure, vending, kiosks, refill stations, being specified with connectivity and a screen from the start rather than having signage bolted on later.
Waco says users rated the redesigned station highly for appearance, water taste and temperature, and purification performance. The company has not disclosed how many people took part in the trial or released detailed results, so the ratings should be read as a marketing claim rather than an independent finding.
What's not on screen yet
Waco currently describes the display as an information screen, not an advertising surface. But a networked screen sitting in a supermarket, next to a product people interact with physically for a minute or more while filling a bottle, is an obvious candidate for digital-out-of-home advertising or retail media sales down the line. The announcement does not say whether Waco or its retail partners have any plans in that direction, or who would sell and manage the inventory if they did.
The announcement also does not specify the screen size, resolution, content management platform, or connectivity standard used for the IoT monitoring, details that would matter to any operator evaluating whether this kind of integrated infrastructure display could fit into an existing signage network.
Waco says it plans to expand Atlas in the Japanese market while pursuing other international opportunities, without giving a timeline or naming additional markets.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Redesigned Atlas refill station combines water purification and bottle sterilization with digital signage, IoT monitoring and remote maintenance features.
Water purification equipment manufacturer Waco has integrated digital signage into its redesigned Atlas public water refill station with two of its units installed at supermarkets in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district in November 2025 as part of a proof-of-concept trial. Customers used the stations in a commercial setting and provided feedback through interviews and surveys.
Alongside dispensing ambient and chilled purified water, Atlas offers washing and sterilization functions for reusable bottles and tumblers. UV LED technology supports hygiene management.
The built-in screen can display information for users, while an IoT-based system allows operators to monitor the equipment and manage maintenance remotely. The combination is an example of how digital signage can add a communication layer to infrastructure products whose primary purpose has traditionally been purely functional.
Waco said users gave the redesigned station high ratings for its appearance, water taste and temperature, and purification performance. The company did not disclose the number of participants or detailed results.
Although Waco currently describes the screen as an information display, installations in supermarkets and other public venues could potentially support advertising and DooH applications.
The South Korea company plans to expand Atlas in the Japan market while continuing to pursue other internatioanal opportunities.