AI water circulation system replaces water pipes in post-disaster situations

J-STORIES -  WOTA is a startup company tackling global water issues using its unique water treatment technology that can recycle and reuse almost 98% of wastewater. Seeing the impacts of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day, the company provided a drum-type hand-washing station “WOSH” and a portable water reclamation plant “WOTA BOX” to the evacuation shelters where the water supply was cut off. These could be used for private showers and other purposes, comforting the stressed-out victims.

J-stories interviewed the company online on March 8th, 2024, asking in depth about how its products were used in the affected areas and the issues that came to light because of the support.

WOTA: Though electricity was restored within two to three days after the earthquake, it took a while for the water supply to recover. According to data from the Japanese Red Cross, the No. 1 problem in living in evacuation centers is bathing. The general support right after the disaster for 72 hours is finding the survivors, but after that, hygiene management in evacuation centers, such as showering and washing hands, becomes a major issue.

We arrived at the site immediately after the earthquake struck, but judging from the road damage, we anticipated that the water supply would be cut off over a wide area for a long time. To cover the entire water cutoff area in the Noto Peninsula, we asked evacuees and managers of medical and welfare facilities to operate the products on their own at each installation location, to ensure quick and sustainable support deployment. As a result, we have deployed 200 WOSH circulating hand-washing stations and 100 WOTA BOX private showers.

WOTA: On that part, we first give lectures about the detailed usage of the WOTA products to the people. But the maintenance of our products and the reception of baths is operated by the local people themselves. Since it will take a while to restore the water supply after the pipes are broken, we believe that it is important to not only provide our products but also to operate them efficiently. This is because the autonomous operation will enable immediate water access, even in areas where roads have been blocked. If our staff had to stay on-site and do all of this work, we would be unable to help other affected regions.

Therefore, we have been trying our best to have our clients work with the locals on the startup and leave the rest of the operation to them so that we can continue to deliver our products to evacuation centers in the next disaster area. We also think this is why we were able to cover the entire area of Noto Peninsula where the water supply was cut off.

WOTA: Our assistance phases are largely divided into three steps. In Step 1, we established an “autonomous operation” model for each evacuation center, and in the following Step 2, we installed our products in at least one evacuation center in each of the six districts where water was completely cut off.

The six are Suzu City, Noto City, Wajima City, Anamizu City, Shiga City, and Nanao City. In these six cities and towns, we have established at least one water block. Today, in Step 3, we are working to cover the entire Noto Peninsula water outage area.

WOTA: In the past, there have been large water tanks as relief supplies for disaster-stricken areas. When you turn on the faucet, water comes out, but the weak point is that once it comes out it does not stop dripping. This is fine for washing hands, but as it drips the ground will become wet and unhygienic. Using water for domestic use does not mean that you just need water; you must have a fixed drainage system in place. Since more than 98% of our products are recycled, we can use water efficiently and also eliminate these wastewater concerns.

We have been assisting disaster-stricken areas since the 2018 floods in western Japan. Therefore, we know that when an earthquake occurs, there are always areas where water is cut off, and it is very important to provide support for bathing and hygiene management. Since then, we have wanted to contribute in times of disaster, where we think our products are useful.

WOTA: Showers are essential for hygiene, but we also think they positively impact people’s mental health. Those who live in evacuation shelters are constantly tired because there is no sense of privacy within the open space. So we would like them to enjoy the security and comfort of soaking in warm water in a place where they’re alone, even if it is only in the shower. We have received comments from users that they felt very relieved, even after just 15 minutes of showering.

WOTA: Yes, we did. For example, there are baths the Self-Defense Forces set up in disaster areas. The SDF baths are large public bathhouses used by everyone, which are helping many people in disaster areas. However, we have also heard that those who were receiving nursing from a caretaker of a different sex were unable to use the bath. In the case of women, those who were menstruating found it difficult to enter a large bath with everyone else. We hope that the SDF baths and our showers can be used together in various places to help solve such problems.

WOTA: We have received comments from people in the earthquake-stricken areas of Noto that “it was definitely the best shower I had in my life.”

Many people were unable to take a shower for more than a week after the earthquake struck. Also, some said that taking a shower gave them solitary peace because they could be alone for the first time since entering the evacuation center.

Immediately after the showers were installed, many people told us that the smells and scents of shampoo and body soap coming from the steam vents in the shower tents were soothing. We have also heard that the cleanliness of the showers has improved people's awareness that it is better to improve the sanitary environment of the shelters, which until then had been fine with people entering with their muddy shoes.

WOTA: We did not receive any comments on social media outside the disaster areas, but we did receive some calls from local governments after seeing posts of the installation.

Since local governments had originally introduced our system as a disaster countermeasure, we have received more requests to use it again. We have also received offers from government ministries, agencies, and the national government. So we have received a great number of inquiries from people who want to be prepared for the future.

WOTA: In terms of water storage in evacuation centers, some people have their own stocks of drinking water. Moreover, bottled water arrives as relief supplies from various regions a few days later, so in some cases, signs are posted in front of the shelters, stating that there is already enough water available.

On the other hand, the lack of domestic water for hygienic purposes is still a major problem. While 3 liters of drinking water per person per day is sufficient, more than 50 liters are needed for one shower. With our product, 100 liters of water, which would normally only accommodate two people, can be recycled and reused by 100 people.

Water for domestic use can’t fully be utilized without large quantities of water, wastewater treatment facilities, and facilities for water use. I think effectively governing these three elements will be a major objective for the future. It will also be very important to prepare for the possibility of future earthquakes.

WOTA: Our ultimate goal is to solve both Japan's and the world's water problems. Therefore, by installing a small-scale decentralized water circulation system not only in emergencies but also in ordinary homes, we believe we can solve the issues of water and sewage systems in areas with declining populations or tight financial situations. Although we started with disaster relief, we are also looking forward to introducing water systems specifically for residential use in Japan, expanding to other water-stressed areas across the globe.

WOTA: In addition, a new project is underway in the tropical islands of Antigua and Barbuda located in the West Indies. To solve the region’s water issues, we will start installing a "small-scale sprinkler circulation system" for residential houses in cooperation with the country’s housing corporation.

WOTA: This may be a bit repetitive, but the challenge here, including the Noto Earthquake, is that drinking water has become a commodity whereas domestic water is constantly in short supply. We see this as the company’s objective that needs to be achieved through our actions. As for the development of new products, we are currently testing a product for residential use. This is still a prototype, so we are aiming to commercialize it in the near future.

Translated by Mark Goldsmith

Top photo by WOTA

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