What AAQUA does

AAQUA is a Belgian industrial water treatment specialist that designs, builds, and operates custom wastewater treatment installations under Design-Build-Operate (DBO) contracts for industrial clients. Founded in 1998 by Marc Feyten and headquartered in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium, the company serves manufacturers and processors across food and beverage, paper and packaging, metal, chemical, pharmaceutical, tank cleaning, and brewery sectors, with a reference portfolio of 200+ clients spanning 13+ countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the United States.

AAQUA's technology stack combines physicochemical and biological treatment modules — sieving, coagulation and flocculation, Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) achieving 90%+ suspended solids removal, biological treatment, and sludge processing — integrated into purpose-built plants with proprietary automation (in-house since 2003) and standard remote monitoring (since 2006). A distinctive capability is water reuse, where AAQUA purifies wastewater to process water or drinking water quality; the firm achieved Belgian (2015) and European (2020) firsts in this domain. A mobile treatment fleet supports pilot testing and temporary capacity, lowering customer commitment barriers. Since 2016, AAQUA has operated as part of the French Aquaprox group while retaining operational autonomy, and acquired Interindus in 2017 to strengthen process water production expertise.

Revenue is generated through project-based custom DBO contracts with multi-year billing cadences; pricing is not publicly disclosed. By 2021, water reuse projects contributed 30% of turnover, up from a negligible share in 2017, signaling a deliberate mix shift toward higher-value circular water solutions. The go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales with no channel or reseller distribution, supported by a multi-language website and direct contact channels.

Name

AAQUA

Legal name

Aaqua NV

Website

https://aaqua.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AAQUA designs, builds, and operates custom industrial wastewater treatment plants as a Design-Build-Operate partner for 200+ industrial clients across food, beverage, paper, metal, and tank cleaning sectors, with specialized water reuse capabilities in Belgium and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wastewater Treatment

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Wastewater Treatment (On-site/Pre-treatment) (EUANADAB), Industrial Water Reuse Utilities (ZLD/MLD & Process Water Recycling) (EUANAGAG), Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors) (BPABAJAK), Industrial Wastewater Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAC)

Keywords

• Industrial wastewater treatment
• Water reuse systems
• Mobile water treatment
• Biological water treatment
• Sludge processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sint-katelijne-waver

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DBO Contracts (Design, Build, Operate): AAQUA designs, builds, and manages custom water treatment installations for industrial clients under long-term DBO contracts. Revenue is generated through project fees for design and construction, followed by ongoing operational management fees.
2. Water Reuse Solutions: By 2021, water reuse projects accounted for 30% of AAQUA's turnover, representing a significant and growing revenue stream from treating wastewater to process water or even drinking water quality.
3. Mobile Installation Services: Rental and deployment of mobile treatment units for pilot testing and temporary capacity during maintenance or emergencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AAQUA designs, builds, and operates industrial wastewater treatment plants under Design-Build-Operate (DBO) contracts for industrial clients. The company delivers complete treatment solutions including water reuse, mobile/temporary installations, and remote monitoring across food & beverage, chemical, metal, paper, and textile industries.

Product overview

AAQUA offers a portfolio of industrial water treatment solutions organized around four core service pillars: (1) custom-designed industrial wastewater treatment plants, (2) water reuse systems that purify wastewater to process or drinking water quality, (3) mobile treatment installations for pilot testing and temporary capacity, and (4) monitoring and remote support. Underlying these services are specific treatment technologies including sieving, coagulation and flocculation, dissolved air flotation (DAF), biological treatment, and sludge processing. The company operates as a DBO (Design, Build, Operate) partner, providing end-to-end services from engineering and construction to ongoing operation and support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Wastewater Treatment (DBO) Custom-designed wastewater treatment plants built and operated by AAQUA under long-term Design-Build-Operate contracts for industrial clients across food & beverage, chemical, metal, paper, and textile sectors.
• Industrial Water Reuse Treatment systems that recover and recycle industrial process water, reducing fresh-water intake for industrial customers seeking closed-loop water usage.
• Mobile Wastewater Installations Modular, mobile treatment units deployed for temporary capacity, peak loads, pilot projects, or emergencies at industrial sites.
• Industrial Process Water Treatment of water used in industrial production processes to required quality specifications for industrial customers.
• Drinking Water Production Treatment systems that produce drinking-quality water for industrial or community use.
• Sludge Processing Treatment and management of residual sludge generated by industrial wastewater processes, including handling, conditioning, and disposal or reuse.
• Coagulation-Flocculation Treatment Physico-chemical treatment stage utilizing AAQUA's proprietary Double Stirrer Flocculator to remove suspended solids and contaminants from industrial wastewater streams.
• Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) DAF separation technology used to separate suspended matter such as oils, fats, and solids from industrial wastewater.
• Biological Water Treatment Biological treatment using activated sludge and Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) processes to break down organic pollutants in industrial wastewater.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% of AAQUA's turnover came from water reuse projects by 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Aquaprox GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2016In 2016, AAQUA became part of the French Aquaprox group while retaining its operational autonomy. Aquaprox is a French water treatment company, making this a parent-subsidiary relationship that provides AAQUA with backing from a larger European water treatment group.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Solenis: Specialty chemicals and monitoring solutions provider for water-intensive industries including paper, food, and chemical processing. Adjacent competitor in industrial water treatment chemistry and digital service delivery.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: Major industrial water treatment and reuse player with extensive installed base and digital monitoring capabilities. Competes with AAQUA for large industrial accounts, particularly in food/beverage and chemicals.
• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese-headquartered global water treatment specialist serving industrial clients with reuse, chemicals, and ultrapure water systems. Overlaps with AAQUA in industrial reuse but at much larger multinational scale.
• Ecolab (Nalco Water): Global water and process chemicals specialist serving industrial customers with treatment programs, chemistry, and digital monitoring. Overlaps with AAQUA's chemical treatment and monitoring capabilities but as part of a much larger chemistry-led portfolio.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global leader in water treatment and reuse with industrial DBO capabilities across food, chemicals, pharma, and energy. Overlaps with AAQUA's industrial treatment business but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.

Direct peers

• Aquaprox Group: AAQUA's parent company, a French water treatment specialist providing industrial process water and wastewater treatment. Direct parent-peer relationship with overlapping industrial customer base and treatment technologies.
• WABAG: VA TECH WABAG is a global water treatment specialist focused on industrial and municipal clients with DBO/EPC capabilities and water reuse expertise. Comparable to AAQUA in industrial reuse focus but at much larger scale.
• Lenntech: Dutch water treatment solutions provider offering custom-designed systems, water reuse, and containerized/mobile treatment units for industrial clients. Closely comparable niche positioning and product overlap.
• EnviroChemie: German industrial wastewater treatment company providing custom physicochemical and biological plants, water reuse systems, and DBO services to industrial customers across Europe — directly comparable in technology stack and customer verticals.
• Nijhuis Industries: Netherlands-based industrial water and wastewater treatment specialist offering custom DBO and turnkey solutions for industrial clients. Most directly comparable to AAQUA in size, scope (food, paper, chemicals), and DBO delivery model.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aaquanv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aaqua-nv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 AAQUA