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Water access has, in recent years, grown to become one of the most pressing issues throughout the world. Most countries are exerting tremendous strain on existing water resources. The world's population is rapidly increasing, and projections predict that the world will face a huge gap between expected demand and water supply by 2030. Climate change will compound the problem by disrupting hydrological cycles, making the supply of water more erratic, and increasing the severity of floods and droughts. Water insecurity is a major factor in global conflicts, and water contamination and scarcity represent long-term economic concerns for both developing and developed countries.
In light of these factors, it will become more important how wastewater is treated and re-used. The act of treating wastewater after use in agriculture and industry to remove contaminants so that it can be returned to the ecosystem is a critical process and by no means a fully solved one.
Japan is one of the leading countries for wastewater treatment in the world. Conventional wastewater treatment processes in Japan typically include four stages, from preliminary to tertiary treatment.
In addition to these conventional treatment methods, Japan has implemented new technologies such as using AI and micro-organisms. Japan has also been focusing on resource recovery from wastewater. These technologies have not only contributed to the reduction of environmental impacts but also helped in the conservation of resources.
WOTA was founded in 2014. The company has been mainly developing the small-scale/decentralized water recycling system and an autonomous control system for water treatment. Their product called ‘WOTA BOX’ is the portable water plant which enables on-site reuse of more than 98% of water. They provide it with outdoor shower kit as an easy-to-use package.
Their autonomous control system for water treatment combines multiple proprietary embedded sensors and AI which constantly monitors and controls the water quality and system, notifying the user of any problems or maintenance issues. With those technologies, WOTA BOX produces clean, potable water which complies with WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality.
WOTA BOX has already seen use in many different situations, such as evacuation shelters and entertainment festivals. Recently several were sent alongside volunteers from the NGO JICA to areas of Turkey affected by the February 2023 earthquake (source).
The use of micro-organisms in water treatment offers an organic, eco-friendly alternative. Not only can their use reduce odors and greenhouse-gas emissions, it can also lead to cost savings at the treatment stage.
Founded in 2017, Friend Microbe is a Nagoya University spinout utilizing micro-organisms for wastewater treatment. They specialize in oily wastewater treatment, using technology developed by Katsutoshi Hori, CSO and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University. This technology uses microorganisms to break down and completely remove fats and oils from wastewater, leading to cost savings in wastewater treatment by reducing the amount of industrial waste and eliminating the need for additives.
BioAlchemy is another example of a startup using micro-organisms for wastewater treatment. The company is a spin-off from the Biological Systems Unit at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). They have developed a regional wastewater treatment unit based on Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology, which utilizes anaerobic bacteria capable of generating electricity.
Currently, most of the wastewater from manufactures is treated using the activated sludge method which poses a number of issues including hight treatment costs, sludge disposal after treatment, and odor. With BioAlchemy’s technology, however, the bacteria prevents excess sludge and enables low-cost operation without maintenance.
Founded in 2008, Metawater provides solutions for creating a cycle of optimum water resource use from the perspective of plant engineering and service solutions. One of their technologies is the sewage sludge fuel conversion system which is designed for maximizing power generation with waste heat power generation.
Sludge is a by-product of the sewage treatment process, which requires treatment to remove bacteria before it can be recycled. It tends to be reused as building material, fuel for power generation and compost.
In Japan, the main focus of treating the huge amounts of wastewater sludge produced is changing from reduction of volume to its conversion to a source of materials and energy. According to the Japan Sewage Works Association, the sewage sludge reuse rate in Japan has exceeded 50% since 2000 and has continued to grow rapidly since then. Consequently, cyclical-economy utilization of sludge and sludge treatment has become intrinsically connected in Japan, and going into the future all sludge treatment will be seen through this lens.
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