WOTA, a Japanese water innovation company and Earthshot Prize finalist, is opening a new path to growth for Caribbean islands through water regeneration – easing the water constraints that limit everyday life and economic growth, rather than only helping them cope with climate shocks. By regenerating and reusing water in homes, its systems are designed to reduce both the need for new freshwater and the volume of wastewater released into the environment.

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A WOTA Unit installed at a home in Antigua and Barbuda as part of the demonstration project.

A WOTA Unit installed at a home in Antigua and Barbuda as part of the demonstration project.

Supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Government of Japan through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), WOTA is working with communities in Antigua and Barbuda, in ongoing collaboration with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, to help households regenerate their own water.

The WOTA Unit is a small-scale residential water regeneration system that uses automated monitoring and treatment technology to regenerate up to 97%* of wastewater from kitchens, bathrooms and laundry for everyday reuse. Sensors continuously monitor water quality and operating conditions, while algorithms automatically control treatment.

In one household during the demonstration project, the system regenerated 1,720 of the 2,356 US gallons used in a single month – equivalent to 100 showers – reducing the need for additional freshwater by 73%. While this result reflects a single household over one month and is not a measure of island-wide impact, it demonstrates the technical potential of regenerating water at home. The wider effect will depend on the scale and conditions of deployment.

Water: the limit on island growth

For small island states, water is a precondition for growth. Households, public services, tourism and new investment all depend on a reliable supply. Yet limited land means limited freshwater, while growing populations and tourism keep pushing demand higher. Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados are classified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as water-scarce countries**, and Antigua and Barbuda has only around 557 m³ of renewable water per person per year, well below the 1,000 m³ scarcity threshold***.

Antigua and Barbuda has made real strides in strengthening its water supply, yet like many island nations it still contends with structural pressures. Its largest reservoir can run dry at times during the year, desalination remains costly and energy-intensive, and wastewater can reach the waterways and beaches on which the island economy depends. Climate change is adding to these pressures.

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) has warned that below-normal rainfall is expected across much of the region into early 2027, increasing the risk of water shortages and wildfires****, while hurricanes and other extreme weather can disrupt supply.

A different path to growth

Experience in Japan and other countries suggests that economic growth without adequate wastewater treatment can lead to severe pollution and decades of costly infrastructure investment. Island nations have an opportunity to take a different path: integrating water regeneration and reuse from the outset, so that growth does not come at the expense of the freshwater and marine environments on which their economies depend.

Because each system regenerates water where it is used, capacity can be added household by household and community by community as demand grows, without waiting for large-scale networks to be built. Combined with conventional networks, decentralised regeneration can make better use of limited water resources, help maintain essential services even during disruption, and reduce the wastewater reaching the sea – helping to protect the coral reefs, beaches and tourism that underpin the island’s blue economy.

Yosuke Maeda, Representative Director & CEO of WOTA, said:

“Water should be what makes island growth possible, not what holds it back. By circulating water where it is used, island nations can grow without repeating the costly path others have taken and protect the ocean their economies depend on.”

The Honourable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda said:

“I believe that this will certainly bring some resolution to the water shortage that we’ve had. The government of Antigua and Barbuda is in full support of this technology. We will do what’s necessary to ensure its viability and sustainability.”

Kevin Joseph, participant in the demonstration project in Antigua and Barbuda said:

“I would definitely recommend the WOTA unit to others as I have already done. The main reason is that you are assured of getting a consistent supply of clean filtered water for every use in your home.”

Building on its demonstration project in Antigua and Barbuda, WOTA is leading the “Water 2040 Island Grows Initiative”. Looking towards 2040, the initiative aims to make small-scale, decentralised water regeneration part of everyday water supply on islands across the Caribbean and beyond, so that island communities are no longer held back by water constraints. To this end, WOTA seeks to build new partnerships with governments, utilities, businesses and communities across the region and to explore where and how such systems could be deployed.

At the Commonwealth Business Forum 2026, taking place from 2-4 November on the occasion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), WOTA will engage governments and partners to discuss how water security underpins sustainable growth. It will show how decentralised water regeneration, working alongside conventional networks, offers island nations a new path to grow without being held back by water constraints.

*The recycling rate may vary depending on the usage environment and water utilization methods.

**Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “Caribbean region must prepare for increased drought due to climate change”, press release, 21 June 2016.

***Renewable water resources per person: FAO AQUASTAT. Water scarcity benchmark (1,000 per person per year): Falkenmark indicator.

****Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and The University of the West Indies Climate Studies Group Mona, “Drought Concerns Increase: Caribbean Urged to Prepare”, press release, August 2026. See also CIMH, Caribbean Drought Bulletin, August 2026.

Notes to Editors

At the Commonwealth Business Forum 2026, held as part of CHOGM, WOTA will lead a session titled “The Commonwealth Leading the Blue Economy” on the Sir Viv Richards Plenary Stage at the Sticky Wicket, from 9:00 to 10:30 on Tuesday 3 November. WOTA will also be exhibiting at a booth at the Sticky Wicket throughout the Forum.

About the WOTA Corp.

WOTA is a Japanese 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.

WOTA Leading the Water 2040 Island Grows Initiative

The Water 2040 Island Grows Initiative is an effort to create sustainable water infrastructure and support long-term growth in island communities facing water constraints through the implementation of small-scale, decentralized water regeneration systems that treat and reuse water locally. By building partnerships with governments, businesses, and communities, the initiative aims to develop a new model of water circulation that strengthens everyday water security, disaster resilience, marine conservation, and the sustainability of tourism and local economies. Beginning in the Caribbean, the initiative seeks to establish a model that can be expanded to island communities around the world. Water Circulates. Island Grows.

Find out more about the initiative here: https://water-2040-island.wota.co.jp/

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