#Japan #Tokyo #Water Infrastructure #WOTA Duo™

WOTA Duo™: A Step Forward in Water Infrastructure Management

On July 17, 2026, WOTA Inc., a Tokyo-based company led by CEO Yosuke Maeda, launched a groundbreaking service known as WOTA Duo™. This innovative water best mix diagnostic service is aimed at municipalities, water providers, and consultants supporting them. The primary goal of WOTA Duo™ is to visually represent the regional disparities in water infrastructure costs through maps and numerical data. By identifying potential areas for decentralized system considerations, the service provides essential insights for planning an optimal mix of consolidated and decentralized water infrastructure based on objective data.

The service's highlight is its National Decentralization Potential Map, which utilizes a simplified estimation model built upon WOTA Duo™ diagnostics. This map visualizes areas that may face high water infrastructure costs in the future and is available for free until September 30, 2026, to municipalities, water providers, and consulting firms.

Background of the Development

Japan's water supply and sewerage systems are facing significant challenges, including revenue decline due to population decrease, aging facilities and pipelines, and rising maintenance costs. These issues have made it increasingly difficult for many regions to maintain traditional centralized water infrastructures uniformly. In response, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has proposed a new direction for water infrastructure, emphasizing a 'best mix' approach that combines centralized systems with decentralized systems tailored to regional needs.

Although many municipalities and water providers recognize the need for a best mix approach, the transition from theory to practice is complex. Identifying specific areas for transition, the timing, and methods requires in-depth analysis based on future cost assessments. Therefore, WOTA has developed WOTA Duo™, which objectively analyzes regional differences in water infrastructure costs and prioritizes areas for decentralized systems, offering economic comparisons to aid this planning process.

Service Overview: WOTA Duo™

WOTA Duo™ uses Geographic Information System (GIS) data related to water facilities, pipelines, water meters, and population estimates to provide an analysis that visualizes cost disparities in water infrastructure. It calculates and compares estimated lifecycle costs for different water meters, enabling users to determine which areas should be prioritized for decentralization based on quantifiable economic impacts.

Additionally, WOTA Duo™ offers a comparative analysis of maintaining and updating current centralized infrastructure against a mixed model that includes decentralized systems, pinpointing potential cost savings. By offering objective data for municipalities and water providers, WOTA Duo™ aids in developing concrete plans that reflect best mix considerations in asset management and foundational planning.

Diagnostic Results Features

1. Visualization of Cost Disparities: The service allows users to visualize cost differences by household, illustrating current and future projected costs for water meter units as of 2035.
2. Future Projections: It incorporates population forecasts up to 2065 to highlight changes in cost distribution and areas suitable for decentralization.
3. Economic Impact Analysis: Middle- to long-term comparisons of costs between maintaining centralized systems and adopting a mixed approach provide users with clearer financial implications.
4. Prioritization of Areas: The service lists areas that would benefit most from decentralization, facilitating easier future planning and communication within municipal offices.

Early Adoption and Feedback

WOTA Duo™ has been successfully trialed in cooperation with Ishikawa Prefecture's Suzu City as part of the Ministry's 2025 Innovative Technologies Demonstration Project. Currently, over ten municipalities across Japan are leveraging this service, which includes Suzu City, Yawatahama City, and villages in Nagano Prefecture.

Officials from municipalities utilizing WOTA Duo™ have praised the service for providing objective data that validates challenges they have perceived in their operations. Feedback indicates that the service has been instrumental in clarifying areas that require urgent attention for better decentralization and more effective in-house consensus building around water infrastructure issues.

Free Distribution of the National Decentralization Potential Map

To further support local government and water service providers in taking initial steps toward best mix assessments, WOTA is offering the National Decentralization Potential Map without charge until September 30, 2026. This tool provides a valuable reference for early discussions or hypothesis formulation for introducing best mix strategies.

Municipalities and water providers interested in this service can request the National Decentralization Potential Map to facilitate deeper discussions on the feasibility and implementation of decentralized strategies.

About WOTA Inc.

Founded in 2014, WOTA Inc. is committed to structurally resolving global water resource challenges caused by water scarcity, pollution, and uneven distribution. Our initiatives include developing small-scale decentralized water circulation systems and innovative water treatment technologies, which have been deployed in both disaster relief situations and public health improvements. For more information, visit WOTA’s website.