WOTA Signs Agreement with Wakayama Prefecture to Strengthen 'Inter-Municipal Wide-Area Mutual Aid Platform for Water Circulation Systems'

WOTA Corp. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yosuke Maeda; hereinafter "WOTA") has signed an agreement with Wakayama Prefecture regarding "Wide-Area Mutual Aid for Living Water Equipment During Disasters." This agreement is part of an initiative to promote the construction of a wide-area mutual aid platform on a prefectural basis. It involves collaboration between the Japan Water Association for Disaster (JWAD), which organizes and operates the platform, and prefectural governments to strengthen the system for securing living water during disasters. This agreement aims to build a mutual support system for living water equipment among prefectures to ensure hygiene and access to water at evacuation centers and other locations during disasters. Specific areas of cooperation are as follows: - Agreement Name: Agreement on Wide-Area Mutual Aid for Living Water Equipment During Disasters - Purpose: To establish a mutual support system among local governments to secure living water and hygiene environments at evacuation centers and similar facilities during disasters. - Main Areas of Cooperation: - Provision of living water equipment (such as "WOTA BOX" and "WOSH") from non-affected municipalities to affected municipalities during disasters. - Rapid information sharing among stakeholders during disasters (damage status, needs for living water equipment, schedules for installation, operation, and removal of equipment, etc.). - Consolidation and optimal distribution of equipment centered on prefectures. - Development of systems for training and pre-positioning of equipment during normal times. - Coordination support among local governments through the JWAD secretariat. (Photo left: Water circulation shower "WOTA BOX" / Photo right: Water circulation hand-washing stand "WOSH") The wide-area mutual aid platform is a mechanism for mutual support among local governments that enables the rapid delivery of living water equipment to disaster-stricken areas on a national scale through a consolidation and deployment system with prefectures as hubs. By identifying and organizing equipment held by individual municipalities at the prefectural level during normal times, the system consolidates resources to affected prefectures when a disaster occurs. By grasping water demand and optimizing distribution, the goal is to deliver necessary support within "one week of the disaster." Through pre-positioning, regular training, and coordination with relevant organizations, this platform enhances initial response capabilities and supports the securing of living water and the maintenance of hygiene environments in evacuation centers, medical facilities, and welfare facilities. The organization and operation of this platform are handled by the Japan Water Association for Disaster (JWAD), which was established to build a nationwide wide-area mutual aid system. For details and background on the platform, please refer to the official JWAD website. JWAD Official Website: https://www.jwad.org/ WOTA plans to sequentially sign the "Agreement on Wide-Area Mutual Aid for Living Water Equipment During Disasters" with prefectures across Japan to promote the nationwide expansion of this platform. By doing so, the company aims to build a system that enables rapid and flexible responses not only to national-level disasters but also to large-scale disasters that may occur anytime, anywhere. [Reference Materials] - "Report on 'Disaster Water Stress' in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and National-Level Disasters (First Report)" Press Release - "Report on 'Disaster Water Stress' in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and National-Level Disasters (Second Report)" Press Release [About WOTA Corp.] WOTA is a private company aiming for the structural resolution of water issues. Since its founding in 2014, to solve problems caused by the uneven distribution, depletion, and pollution of water resources on Earth, the company has been developing "small-scale decentralized water circulation systems" and the "autonomous water treatment control technology" that realizes them, which recycle and maximize the effective use of domestic wastewater. The company has already launched two products, contributing to the realization of emergency water use during water outages caused by disasters and the improvement of public health. Additionally, it has developed a "home water circulation system" to realize daily water use and has begun water supply in some regions both domestically and internationally. For more details, visit: https://wota.co.jp