What United Water does

United Water is a Chinese water and wastewater treatment provider headquartered in Shanghai and founded in 2004. The company is publicly listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange under ticker 603291 and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people, positioning it as a mid-to-large scale operator in China's regulated water infrastructure sector. The company is structured as a for-profit entity serving municipal, industrial, and/or commercial water and wastewater treatment needs within China; its website (united-water.com) is listed but was unreachable in the source materials. Specific treatment technologies employed (e.g., MBR, SBR, conventional activated sludge), plant capacity, geographic coverage within China, and customer mix are not disclosed in available source materials.

The company's revenue model is not explicitly stated, but the sector structure strongly implies a contract-based model: Chinese water treatment operators typically generate revenue through long-term concessions, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangements, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contracts with municipal authorities, and direct service agreements with industrial park operators or large state-owned enterprises. Pricing would generally be a combination of regulated tariffs (for municipal customers) and negotiated rates (for industrial customers), with revenue visibility tied to multi-year concession terms.

Note on data conflict: source materials also contain detailed data on a separately-incorporated US entity, United Water Works, Inc., a Santa Ana, California-based piping and water products distributor acquired by Ferguson Enterprises Inc. on 2024-08-13. This US entity shares the trade name 'United Water' but is a distinct legal entity from the Chinese public company profiled here; its acquisition, product, and customer data do not apply to SSE:603291.

Name

United Water

Legal name

United Water Works, Inc.

Website

https://united-water.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

United Water is a Chinese water and wastewater treatment provider, publicly listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (603291), headquartered in Shanghai and employing 1,001-5,000 people serving municipal and industrial water infrastructure customers across China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plumbing & Waterworks Distribution

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Treatment Plant Construction (Drinking Water) (IMAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE)

Keywords

• Waterworks distribution
• Piping products supply
• Water infrastructure products
• Plumbing supplies wholesale
• Waterworks distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

United Water Works, Inc. was a piping and water products distributor based in Santa Ana, California, that supplied waterworks and plumbing products to contractors, utilities, and infrastructure operators in Southern California. The company's core activity was wholesale distribution of pipe, fittings, valves, and related water infrastructure products rather than manufacturing or technology development. Following its August 2024 acquisition by Ferguson Enterprises Inc., the business operates as part of Ferguson's Waterworks segment.

Product overview

United Water operates as a specialized piping and water products distributor serving the waterworks sector. The company was acquired by Ferguson Enterprises in August 2024 as part of Ferguson's strategy to expand its Waterworks presence in Southern California. The core offering consists of distributing piping and water products to support plumbing and water infrastructure needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• United Water Works A piping and water products distribution business based in Santa Ana, California, supplying pipe, fittings, and related waterworks products to plumbing contractors, utility contractors, and water infrastructure operators in Southern California. Acquired by Ferguson Enterprises Inc. in August 2024.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Beijing Enterprises Water Group: One of China's largest water and wastewater treatment operators, listed in Hong Kong. Operates municipal water supply, sewage treatment, and reclamation projects across China — directly comparable to United Water's stated business scope.
• China Water Affairs Group: Hong Kong-listed Chinese water utility providing water supply, sewage treatment, and related services to municipalities. Directly comparable as a Chinese-listed water/wastewater operator.
• Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group: Major Chinese water and environmental services company (formerly Beijing Capital Land /首创环保) engaged in water supply, sewage treatment, and solid waste. Comparable as a domestic Chinese water/wastewater platform.
• Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group: SSE-listed Chinese water and wastewater treatment operator serving northern Chinese municipalities. Direct comparable in business model and asset class (water/wastewater treatment concessions).
• Chongqing Water Group: SSE-listed municipal water utility in southwest China providing water supply and sewage treatment services. Comparable as a Chinese-listed, region-focused water and wastewater operator.

Regional players

• Guangdong Investment Limited (Guangdong Water): Hong Kong-listed water utility subsidiary of Guangdong Holdings, operating water supply concessions primarily in Guangdong province. Comparable business model; less direct geographic overlap but same concession-based utility profile.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Environnement (China operations): Global environmental services giant with significant Chinese municipal water and wastewater concessions. Comparable as a major international incumbent competing for the same Chinese municipal contracts.
• Suez SA (China operations): Global water and waste management operator with established Chinese municipal water/wastewater concessions. Comparable as a multinational incumbent in the same Chinese municipal tender pool.
• American Water Works Company: Largest U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility. Useful as a comparable listed water/wastewater utility benchmark for valuation and operational metrics, though operating geography differs.

Emerging players

• Kangda International Environmental Protection: Hong Kong-listed Chinese water/wastewater treatment company operating municipal projects across multiple provinces. Comparable as a mid-tier Chinese water operator with similar concession-based business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newgiant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Water