Japanese Industrial gas major Air Water has begun a business whereby minerals obtained from sea water are mixed into the distilled water which remains after producing salt, which is then marketed as drinking water. In 2007 the company acquired and merged with the leading salt producer Nihonkaisui. It has a setup whereby the bittern obtained after producing salt is supplied to Tateho Chemical Industries, a member of the group, which then uses this to produce high quality magnesia. In January, the company began marketing the potassium chloride from the residual distilled water as agricultural fertilizer. The current business regarding drinking water is a continuation of this. Sales of JPY5 billion are anticipated 5 years hence.