Aqua-Chem

What Aqua-Chem does

Aqua-Chem, Inc. is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based designer, manufacturer, and servicer of industrial water purification systems founded in 1929 and operating today as the North American platform of Nijhuis Saur Industries (NSI), the Industrial Water division of French group Saur, following its May 2022 acquisition. The company's product portfolio spans thermal and membrane-based technologies, including its proprietary Horizontal Spray-Film Vapor Compression distillation systems (300-9,000 gph capacity), the second-generation TORRENT Ambient WFI/PW membrane system, beverage and military-grade reverse osmosis units, pure steam generators, carbon towers, UV/ozone disinfection, and complete engineered "water room" solutions integrating pretreatment through storage and distribution. Its core technology — the Spray-Film Vapor Compression process developed in 1960 — remains an industry benchmark for Water-for-Injection production and is supplemented by LG Chem NanoH2O thin-film nanocomposite membranes.

The company serves four primary verticals: pharmaceutical/biotech (Pfizer, Selkirk Pharma, a 20+ year major pharma customer relationship with one of the world's largest WFI installations), beverage manufacturers, oil & gas (offshore platforms), and the U.S. military (equipment on 263 of 276 Navy ships, plus Tactical Water Purification Systems and ROWPUs). Secondary markets include commercial marine and industrial wastewater. Revenue is generated through capital equipment sales (one-time), aftermarket parts and consumable membrane replacement (recurring hardware), and service/maintenance programs including the Aqua-Care Service offering preventative maintenance, commissioning, operator training, and 24/7 technical support.

Aqua-Chem sells through a direct enterprise field sales force in North America complemented by regional sales offices and a global distributor network across South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Approximately 70% of revenue comes from North America. The company holds extensive regulatory certifications (ISO 9001, ASME U/S/R stamps, ASME BPE, PED, NSF 61, CE, ABS, DNV) that constitute significant barriers to entry in pharmaceutical-grade water systems. Headcount has grown from 165 employees at the time of the Saur acquisition to 250+ currently, reflecting post-acquisition expansion.

Name

Aqua-Chem

Legal name

Aqua-Chem Inc.

Website

https://aqua-chem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aqua-Chem designs, manufactures, and services industrial water purification systems — including vapor compression distillation, membrane-based WFI/PW, and reverse osmosis — serving pharmaceutical, beverage, oil & gas, and U.S. military customers globally from Knoxville, TN, as part of Nijhuis Saur Industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Purification Systems

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization (EUANAFAK), Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial water purification
• Vapor compression distillation
• Water for injection systems
• Reverse osmosis membranes
• Pharmaceutical water treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Capital Equipment Sales: Custom engineered and standard water purification systems including vapor compression distillers, reverse osmosis, pure steam generators, and complete water room solutions. Systems are designed, built, and maintained for pharmaceutical, beverage, oil & gas, military, and marine applications.
2. Aftermarket Parts and Service: Replacement RO membranes (LG Chem), parts, maintenance services, acid cleaning, membrane change out services, equipment audits, and operator training. Service programs including Aqua-Care Service ensure ongoing customer support.
3. Service and Maintenance Programs: Comprehensive service programs including preventative maintenance, commissioning, startup assistance, troubleshooting, and process analysis. Factory-trained service technicians available 24/7 worldwide.
4. Engineering and Validation Support: Custom engineering design, installation support, start-up, commissioning and validation support for pharmaceutical installations. Extended technical support services for system lifecycle management.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Aqua-Chem designs, engineers, manufactures, and services industrial water purification systems for pharmaceutical, beverage, oil & gas, military, and commercial marine end markets. Core offerings include vapor compression distillation units (300-9000 gph), the TORRENT ambient WFI/PW membrane system, beverage and seawater reverse osmosis skids, pure steam generators, carbon filtration towers, storage and distribution systems, and complete engineered water rooms. Revenue is generated through capital equipment sales, replacement membrane supply (LG Chem NanoH2O), and the Aqua-Care aftermarket service program.

Product overview

Aqua-Chem is a global water purification technology company founded in 1929, now part of Nijhuis Saur Industries. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of thermal and membrane water treatment technologies organized around two core platforms: vapor compression distillation and reverse osmosis/membrane systems. The primary product lines include the TORRENT™ Ambient WFI/PW membrane-based water for injection system, Vapor Compression Distillation Systems (300-9000 gph), Beverage Reverse Osmosis Systems (100-400 gpm), and Pure Steam Generators. Supporting these core platforms is a full range of pre-treatment and polishing equipment including Carbon Towers for chlorine removal, Storage & Distribution Systems, Feed Pump Skids, UV Disinfection, Ozone Disinfection, Ultrafiltration, Continuous Electrodeionization (CEDI) modules, and Membrane Degasifiers. The company also offers specialized systems for military (Tactical Water Purification System, Silver Series, Seawater Plate Distillers), commercial marine, and oil & gas markets. Aqua-Chem provides replacement membranes for both seawater (LG Chem NanoH2O) and brackish water applications. Complete integrated solutions include the Complete Beverage Water Room and Pharmaceutical Water Room systems. The company operates as both equipment manufacturer and service provider through its Aqua-Care Service program offering installation, commissioning, training, maintenance, and 24/7 technical support. The company was acquired by Saur in 2022 and became the North American platform of Nijhuis Saur Industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TORRENT: Second-generation Ambient Water for Injection/Purified Water (WFI/PW) system providing complete solutions for compendial water applications in pharmaceutical and biopharma manufacturing.
• Silver Series

Products and services

• TORRENT Ambient WFI/PW System (2nd Generation) Membrane-based water for injection and purified water system delivering compendial water free of microbes and endotoxins at ambient temperatures for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Modular plug-and-play design with 15-inch HMI, remote diagnostics, and lower capital and energy cost than thermal distillation.
• Vapor Compression Distillation Systems Thermal water purification systems using patented Horizontal Spray-Film Vapor Compression technology. Capacity from 300 gph to 9000 gph. Reduced energy consumption and less stringent feedwater requirements than multiple-effect distillation, with low-speed compressor technology for cooler bearing temperatures and high durability (units still in operation since 1978).
• Beverage Reverse Osmosis Systems Purified ingredient water reverse osmosis systems for beverage applications including bottled water, juices, teas, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages. Single and double-pass configurations with 100-400 gpm flow ranges and customizable membrane selection from multiple suppliers.
• Pure Steam Generators Clean steam generation equipment for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, hospital, and laboratory applications. Multiple standard models including PSG-6000 (6,000 lb/hour) plus custom design capabilities for sterilization and humidification.
• Carbon Towers (Activated Carbon Filtration) Pre-treatment filtration systems that remove chlorine and chloramine before water enters RO membranes or vapor compression distillers. Standard capacity 200-450 gpm using NSF 61 approved materials in 316L Stainless Steel construction with automatic backwash and sanitization options.
• Storage and Distribution Systems High-quality storage and distribution tanks in various sizes and materials (316L Stainless Steel, FRP) for pure water storage, including distribution loop systems with flow, pressure, temperature, and quality monitoring controls.
• Seawater Reverse Osmosis Membranes (LG Chem NanoH2O TFN) LG Chem NanoH2O seawater RO replacement membranes with Thin Film Nanocomposite (TFN) technology delivering 20% more flow than conventional membranes. Compatible with ACS3, ACT3, ACX1, ACX2, ACX3, and Silver Series systems. SW 400 and SW 440 variants with 99.7-99.89% salt rejection.
• Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis Membranes (LG Chem NanoH2O TFN) LG Chem NanoH2O brackish water RO replacement membranes with TFN technology for municipal and industrial applications. Available in Anti-Fouling (AFR), High Rejection (R), Energy Saving (ES), and Ultra-Low Energy (UES) variants compatible with beverage and pharmaceutical systems.
• Military Seawater Reverse Osmosis Systems Military-grade seawater reverse osmosis systems in 6,800 GPD, 36,000 GPD, and 50,000 GPD capacities for U.S. Navy and government portable and stationary water purification on land and offshore.
• Tactical Water Purification System (TWPS) Rapidly deployable water purification system producing at least 1,500 gallons of potable water per hour from fresh water sources and 1,200 GPH from seawater. Designed for U.S. Army/Marines land forces and government tactical applications.
• Silver Series Seawater Reverse Osmosis Systems Heavy-duty, scalable seawater reverse osmosis systems for naval logistics support vessels, patrol boats, frigates, and containerized land-based humanitarian and military applications. Extra heavy-duty construction designed for reliability and ease of operation.
• Seawater Plate Distillers Thermal distillation units for offshore oil & gas and marine applications. Compact plate-type design with over 50 years of reliable performance in the marine industry.
• Heat Transfer Equipment Plate type heat exchangers for heating, cooling, condensing, and evaporating liquids, meeting ASME, TEMA, USCG, ABS, and MILSPECS standards for offshore, military, marine, industrial, chemical, and power plant applications.
• Complete Beverage Water Room Complete engineered water room systems integrating storage tanks, pump skids, carbon towers, reverse osmosis, UV disinfection, ozone systems, and vapor compression distillation for beverage manufacturers as a single integrated solution.
• Pharmaceutical Water Room Complete water purification solution for pharmaceutical manufacturing including water conditioning, PW/WFI generation via TORRENT or Vapor Compression systems, product storage tanks, distribution loop systems, and pure steam generation as a single integrated system.
• Aqua-Care Service Program Comprehensive service program including installation, commissioning, operator training, preventative maintenance, acid cleaning, membrane change-out services, and 24/7 global technical support by factory-trained service technicians. Program claims to eliminate up to 45% of service and maintenance costs through preventative maintenance.
• Water Purification Equipment Audits Field technician inspections evaluating water purification equipment condition, component performance, and process efficiency, with detailed reports on equipment status and recommendations for maintenance and upgrades.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% of service and maintenance costs can be eliminated with an effective preventative maintenance program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• LG ChemcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupply partnership for LG Chem NanoH2O RO membranes with Thin Film Nanocomposite (TFN) technology. Aqua-Chem offers comprehensive range of LG SWRO (seawater) and BWRO (brackish water) replacement membranes including High Rejection, Great Rejection, Super Rejection, Energy Saving, Ultra Low Energy, and Anti-Fouling variants. Membranes deliver 20% more flow than conventional technologies.
• Pfizer Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFI Equipment Supplier for Pfizer's Project Indigo - Andover Clinical Manufacturing Facility in Massachusetts. Aqua-Chem's equipment contributed to ISPE FOYA 2020 Facility Integration Award recognition. Multi-decade relationship supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• De Nora Water Technologies: Provides electrochemistry-based water and wastewater treatment including disinfection and filtration for industrial and municipal markets. Comparable to Aqua-Chem in industrial water treatment applications with a more focused technology portfolio.
• Koch Membrane Systems: Manufacturer of RO, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration membranes used in food/beverage, pharma, and industrial water treatment. Comparable to Aqua-Chem's membrane technology offerings but focused on membrane manufacturing rather than complete water room systems.

Broad incumbents

• Pentair: Diversified water solutions company with industrial and commercial water treatment capabilities including RO systems and filtration. Comparable to Aqua-Chem in beverage RO and industrial water, though Pentair has a broader consumer/residential portfolio.
• Evoqua Water Technologies (Xylem): Acquired by Xylem in 2023, Evoqua is a leading provider of water treatment systems and services for industrial, pharma, and municipal customers. Comparable to Aqua-Chem in pharma and industrial water treatment, with significantly larger service footprint and recurring revenue base.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water treatment technology and services division of Veolia serving pharma, energy, food & beverage, and microelectronics with RO, ion exchange, and complete water systems. Directly comparable to Aqua-Chem across pharma WFI and beverage water rooms, but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: Now part of SUEZ Group, provides water treatment chemicals, equipment, and digital services for industrial, pharma, and municipal customers. Direct overlap with Aqua-Chem in pharma WFI/PW and beverage water systems.
• Ecolab (Nalco Water): Global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies serving industrial water treatment, food & beverage, and healthcare. Comparable to Aqua-Chem across beverage and industrial water treatment applications, with a more chemicals/service-led business model.
• Culligan International: Global water treatment company providing RO, filtration, and softening systems across residential, commercial, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Aqua-Chem in commercial/industrial water treatment though with more distributed/dealer model.

Regional players

• Organo Corporation: Japanese water treatment company specializing in pure water systems for semiconductor, pharma, and power generation. Comparable to Aqua-Chem in pharma ultrapure water and industrial water, but primarily serves Asia-Pacific markets.

Direct peers

• Mar Cor Purification (Evoqua brand): Specializes in water purification for healthcare, life sciences, and industrial markets including RO and filtration systems. Closest direct competitor to Aqua-Chem in pharma/biotech water treatment with comparable product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aquachem
• Facebookfacebook.com/whenlivesdependonit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqua-chem

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Aqua-Chem