Saur SAS

What Saur SAS does

Saur SAS is the third-largest player in the French water distribution and wastewater management market, headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, and operating across more than 25 countries. Founded in 1933 by Pierre Crussard and owned by private equity firm EQT since July 2018, Saur served 20 million people and managed 268,734 km of water networks in 2024, generating €2.3 billion in revenue. The company serves 9,200 municipal and industrial clients through long-term concession contracts, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and direct industrial water services, with notable Middle East expansion via a USD 300 million wastewater PPP consortium in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) and an operational wastewater contract in Qatar South with Ashghal.

Saur's product portfolio spans drinking water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, industrial water solutions, and specialized offerings including PFAS removal (PFAS Resolve), micropollutants removal, water reuse, sludge management, and resource recovery. Underlying technologies include membrane filtration (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis), activated carbon filtration, and an expanding digital/IoT stack. Saur has committed €200 million over three years to digital and AI-driven process automation, targeting 80% activity automation by 2025, and in 2024 became the first water company globally to issue blue bonds, raising €550 million for water protection projects. The group also holds ISO 37001 anti-corruption certification — a first among French water companies.

Saur generates revenue primarily through subscription-style concession contracts with municipalities and recurring service agreements with industrial clients in sectors such as energy, food and beverage, pharma, mining, semiconductors, and pulp and paper. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales for municipal and industrial accounts with consortium-based delivery for large infrastructure projects (e.g., the DFBOMT Ras Al Khaimah model). In March 2026, EQT-backed Saur engaged Morgan Stanley to explore a sale of the municipal water division, signaling active portfolio rebalancing under PE ownership.

Name

Saur SAS

Legal name

Saur SAS

Website

https://saur.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Saur SAS is a French water services provider and the third-largest player in France's water distribution and wastewater market. Owned by EQT, it serves 20 million people across 25+ countries via concession contracts, PPPs, and industrial water solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Management Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Treated Water Storage & Pressure Management (Reservoirs, Tanks, Booster Stations) (EUANAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non‑Potable Reuse Utilities (Irrigation, Industrial, Cooling) (EUANAGAA), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Water distribution services
• Wastewater treatment solutions
• Municipal water management
• Industrial water treatment
• Public-private partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Issy-les-moulineaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water Services (Municipal): Water distribution and wastewater treatment services for local authorities and municipalities through concession contracts and public-private partnerships
2. Industrial Water Solutions: Water treatment services for industrial clients including energy, food and beverage, pharma, mining, semiconductor, and pulp and paper industries
3. Engineering and Construction: Design and build services for water production plants and wastewater treatment facilities through subsidiaries like Cise TP, Stereau, and Nijhuis Saur Industries
4. Blue Bonds Financing: In 2024, Saur issued €550 million in blue bonds to finance water protection and restoration projects, demonstrating access to capital markets for infrastructure funding

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saur SAS provides drinking water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment services, operating water infrastructure on behalf of municipalities and industrial clients under long-term concessions and public-private partnerships. The company manages the full water cycle — from abstraction and treatment to distribution, wastewater collection, treatment and reuse — primarily in France with international operations in 25+ countries, serving around 20 million people.

Product overview

Saur is a pure player in water and essential services, offering a comprehensive portfolio of water management solutions. The core offerings include drinking water production and distribution services and wastewater treatment and collection services for municipal clients, complemented by specialized industrial water solutions through its Nijhuis Saur Industries subsidiary. The product portfolio is organized around water treatment technologies (membrane technologies, activated carbon filtration), operational services (design and build, water management services, pipe works), and specialized treatment solutions for emerging contaminants (PFAS Resolve for PFAS removal, micropollutants removal). Digital solutions are integrated throughout to enable smart water management and network optimization. The company serves small towns, large cities, and industrial clients across more than 25 countries, with approximately 20 million people served worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Municipal drinking water distribution Potable water production, treatment and distribution to residential and commercial subscribers on behalf of municipal authorities under concession contracts.
• Wastewater collection and treatment Collection, transport and treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater, including reuse and discharge compliance, operated under long-term concessions.
• Industrial water and wastewater services Tailored water supply, process water treatment and wastewater management services for industrial clients, including design, build and operate arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 20 million people worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Etihad Water and ElectricitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership consortium for Ras Al Khaimah wastewater PPP project in UAE. Saur serves as reference shareholder and lead operator responsible for operations and maintenance throughout the concession duration.
• TAQA SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership consortium for Ras Al Khaimah wastewater PPP project. TAQA Solutions part of the DFBOMT model (Design, Finance, Build, Operate, Maintain, Transfer) for the $300 million project.
• Qatar Public Works Authority (Ashghal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Framework contract for wastewater services in Qatar South catchment zone. Saur entered operational phase of wastewater services in early 2026 under this partnership, supporting Qatar's Vision 2030.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Severn Trent plc: Severn Trent is a major UK regulated water and wastewater utility serving 4.5M households. Comparable to Saur in regulated utility operations, concession-style water services, and infrastructure-scale water management.
• Pennon Group plc: Pennon Group owns South West Water, a UK water and wastewater utility serving 1.8M customers. Comparable to Saur on regulated water utility operations and UK/Western European water services exposure.
• Veolia Environnement: Veolia is the largest water and wastewater services company globally and the #1 player in France after merging with Suez. Directly competes with Saur on French municipal concessions and global water utility contracts with similar service portfolios.
• Suez SA: Suez was historically the #2 French water player before being acquired by Veolia in 2022, but continues to operate globally as a water and environmental services provider. Directly comparable to Saur across municipal and industrial water service offerings.
• United Utilities Group: United Utilities is the largest listed water company in England, providing water and wastewater services to 7M people in the North West. Directly comparable to Saur on regulated utility scale, network operations, and municipal service delivery.
• Essential Utilities Inc. Essential Utilities is a US water and natural gas utility serving over 5M people across 10 states. Comparable to Saur in regulated municipal water services and wastewater management at scale.
• American Water Works Company: American Water Works is the largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility, serving 14M+ people across 14 states. Comparable to Saur on regulated utility operations, municipal concession model, and scale of network infrastructure.
• ACCIONA Agua: ACCIONA Agua is the water division of ACCIONA, one of the largest global water treatment and desalination EPC operators. Directly competes with Saur on large-scale water infrastructure projects, particularly in the Middle East and emerging markets.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab Inc. Ecolab is a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions with significant industrial water treatment exposure. Overlaps with Saur's Nijhuis Saur Industries offerings to industrial clients in food & beverage, pharma, and manufacturing sectors.
• Xylem Inc. Xylem is a major global water technology company providing pumps, smart metering, and treatment solutions to utilities and industrial clients. Overlaps with Saur's digital water solutions, membrane technologies, and industrial water offerings, though primarily equipment-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GroupeSaur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saur
• Xx.com/groupesaur

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Saur SAS