WOTA Releases Progress in Daily-Use Water Support for the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
On-site response initiated the day after the earthquake; deployed to 41 evacuation centers through public-private partnerships
— Fact Sheet Released with Response Timeline, Deployment Progress, and Details of On-Site Operations —
WOTA extends its heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake.
WOTA Corp. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yosuke Maeda; hereinafter “WOTA”) today released the “Kumamoto Earthquake Response Factsheet (Preliminary Report)” summarizing the progress of its daily-use water support during the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake. WOTA arrived on site on July 29 and, upon receiving an official request from Kumamoto Prefecture on July 30, began installing and operating shower systems at evacuation centers. By August 5, WOTA had largely met the demand for showers at evacuation centers that had been formally requested and confirmed by the relevant authorities as of that date. Since then, WOTA has continued to install, relocate, and maintain stable operations in response to the consolidation of evacuation centers and shifts in demand.
Kumamoto Earthquake Response Factsheet (Preliminary Report) (PDF)*
*All figures in this document are preliminary as of the end of August 9, 2026. Figures may fluctuate based on future requests for assistance.
On-Site Response Initiated the Day After the Earthquake; Covered Most Requested Evacuation Center Demand by August 5
WOTA concurrently assessed disaster conditions and water demand, established equipment receiving hubs, and put water-supply, transport, and operational systems in place, deploying units to locations as conditions were met. The main timeline is as follows:
| Date | Key Actions |
|---|---|
| July 28 | The Kumamoto Earthquake strikes. |
| July 29 | WOTA arrives on-site and begins assessing damage, water outage conditions, and daily-use water demand (including showers). |
| July 30 | Receives official request document from Kumamoto Prefecture. Begins shower installation and operation in Uki City. |
| August 1 | Secures a warehouse hub in Kumamoto City with the cooperation of Kumamoto City. Expands deployment to Uki City, Hikawa Town, Uto City, etc. Receives request from DMAT for assistance to medical and welfare facilities. |
| August 2-3 | The Cabinet Office (Disaster Management) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) decided to provide push-type support. Accelerates additional deployment in Yatsushiro City and other areas following equipment transport by the Air Self-Defense Force. |
| August 5 | Water supply operations initiated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and Japan Water Works Association (JWWA) for WOTA; largely covers evacuation center demand officially requested by local governments up to this point. |
| August 6 onward | Continues installation, expansion, relocation, removal, and operational support in response to new or consolidated evacuation centers, water outage status, equipment failure, and changes in user count. |
*The term “largely covered” as of August 5 applies to evacuation center demand officially requested and confirmed by local governments at that time. Daily-use water demand—including for evacuees staying in vehicles or homes outside official shelters—may fluctuate based on water outage conditions, evacuation behavior, and facility equipment failure or restoration.
Expanding Deployment and Operational Framework Through Public-Private Partnerships
This support effort progressed through the cooperation of numerous public and private stakeholders. Key assistance included equipment support from municipalities nationwide through JWAD, demand confirmation and reception coordination by Kumamoto Prefecture and affected municipalities, push-type support and operational assistance from the Cabinet Office (Disaster Management) and METI, transport support from the Ministry of Defense and the Air Self-Defense Force, water supply support from MLIT and JWWA, coordination of municipal dispatch personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), and personnel, vehicle, and service support from private companies and organizations.
WOTA progressively scaled up its response team for the Kumamoto Earthquake to a peak of over 70 personnel, conducting installation, operation, logistics, maintenance, water supply, equipment management, and municipal coordination. Locally, Hatch PLANNING Co., Ltd. joined as a participating partner company. Furthermore, starting August 4, personnel support was provided by SoftBank Corp., Flex Co., Ltd., Hokuryo Co., Ltd., and ONE TOHOKU Association, further strengthening local operations through assistance with installation, patrols, replenishment, and operational support. WOTA expresses its deepest gratitude for the immense support received from all parties involved.
Future Actions and Additional Support for Medical and Welfare Facilities
For evacuation centers, WOTA is working to ensure the stable operation of existing locations and hand over operations to local staff, while flexibly expanding, relocating, or removing equipment in response to shelter closures, consolidations, water outage status, equipment failures and repairs, and changes in user volume. Recognizing that new daily-use water needs may emerge among evacuees staying in vehicles or sheltering at home and home-based evacuees, WOTA will strengthen its readiness to rapidly deploy support wherever needed in coordination with government entities and relevant organizations.
Meanwhile, in medical and welfare facilities, support areas remain where maintenance and operational cost responsibility cannot be immediately designated under current public frameworks. WOTA today launched a crowdfunding campaign to expand bathing and hygiene support for medical and welfare facilities. For details, please refer to today’s press release and project page.
・Kumamoto Earthquake Response Factsheet
・Press Release: Launch of Crowdfunding Campaign
・READYFOR Project Page
About “WOTA BOX” and “WOSH”
The Portable Water Regeneration System “WOTA BOX” is a water-regeneration shower system that regenerates and recycles up to 98%* of used water on the spot, securing access to bathing facilities even during water outages. With 100 liters of water, it enables approximately 100 people to take individual showers.
The Water-Regeneration Handwashing Stand “WOSH” recycles up to 98%* of used water on the spot and can be installed in locations without running water. With just 20 liters of water, it allows for up to 500 handwashes.
*Regeneration rates, usage counts, and capacity may vary depending on usage conditions and raw water quality.
Details:https://wota.co.jp/en/wota-box/ / https://wota.co.jp/en/wosh/
About WOTA Corp.
WOTA is a private enterprise aiming for structural solutions to global water issues. Since its founding in 2014, WOTA has developed “Decentralized Water Regeneration Systems” and “Autonomous Water Treatment Control Technology” to reuse domestic wastewater to the maximum extent, addressing problems caused by unequal distribution, scarcity, and pollution of global water resources. WOTA has brought two products to market, contributing to emergency water access during disaster outages and improving public hygiene. WOTA has also developed a “Residential Water Regeneration System” for daily water use and begun supplying water in select regions in Japan and abroad.
Details: https://wota.co.jp/en/