Kubota Membrane USA Corporation

What Kubota Membrane USA Corporation does

Kubota Membrane USA Corporation (legal entity: KUBOTA Water and Environment U.S.A Corporation) is a US operating subsidiary of Japan's Kubota Corporation that supplies Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) systems and complementary water infrastructure products for municipal, commercial, and industrial wastewater treatment. The company is headquartered in Bothell, Washington, with an R&D center in Canton, Ohio (opened 2016) and an HRDIP sales office in Torrance, California, and employs 11–50 people.

The core technology is the Kubota Submerged Membrane Unit (SMU) using flat sheet microfiltration membranes operating at MLSS concentrations above 15,000 mg/L, with gravity permeation, dual-purpose air scour cleaning, and individual membrane replacement supported by up to 10 years of non-prorated warranty. The product portfolio extends beyond the SMU to Package Plant Systems (10,000–100,000 gpd), the KORe underground compact MBR (5,000–25,000 gpd), MBT membrane thickening systems, and HRDIP seismic/hazard-resilient ductile iron pipe (3–104 inches). Kubota has installed 6,000–6,500+ commercial MBR plants globally and 41,000+ miles of HRDIP, with reference customers including Fulton County GA (Big Creek 32 MGD), Los Angeles County, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and Santa Clara Valley.

Revenue is generated through direct hardware sales (MBR systems, replacement membranes, HRDIP pipe) and supporting services (free membrane inspection and analysis), delivered via a direct sales organization combined with a nationwide network of independent manufacturer representatives covering all US states. Quote-based enterprise pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company does not pursue external funding and is wholly owned by Kubota Corporation.

Name

Kubota Membrane USA Corporation

Legal name

KUBOTA Water and Environment U.S.A Corporation

Website

https://kubota-membrane.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kubota Membrane USA Corporation, a US subsidiary of Japan's Kubota Corporation, supplies Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) systems and seismic-resilient ductile iron pipe to municipal, commercial, and industrial wastewater treatment customers across the United States via direct sales and a nationwide rep network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Effluent Polishing & Filtration (MBR/UF/RO/GAC) (EUANADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Advanced/Nutrient Removal (BNR/ENR: N, P) (EUANADAC), Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE), Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Membrane bioreactor systems
• Wastewater treatment equipment
• Hazard resilient pipe
• Municipal water infrastructure
• Industrial wastewater treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bothell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MBR System Sales: Sale of complete Membrane Bioreactor systems including Submerged Membrane Units (SMUs), tanks, blowers, pumps, and instrumentation for municipal, commercial and industrial wastewater treatment applications
2. Membrane Products: Replacement membrane cartridges and components for existing Kubota MBR installations
3. HRDIP Pipe Products: Hazard Resilient Ductile Iron Pipe for water distribution lines and trunk lines in various sizes from 3 to 104 inches
4. Technical Services and Support: Free membrane inspection, membrane analysis services (flux tests, tensile strength tests, SEM analysis), and technical support for MBR system operators

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kubota Membrane USA Corporation is a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system supplier selling the proprietary Kubota Submerged Membrane Unit (SMU) with flat sheet microfiltration membranes for municipal, commercial, and industrial wastewater treatment. The portfolio also includes Package Plant Systems (10,000-100,000 gpd), KORe compact underground MBR units (5,000-25,000 gpd), MBT membrane thickening systems for sludge management, and HRDIP hazard-resilient ductile iron pipe products (3 to 104 inches) for water distribution infrastructure.

Product overview

Kubota Membrane USA Corporation is a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system supplier utilizing the Kubota Submerged Membrane Unit (SMU) with proprietary flat sheet microfiltration membrane technology. The product portfolio centers on the SMU as the core technology for municipal, commercial, and industrial wastewater treatment, supplemented by Package Plant Systems (pre-wired/plumbed units for 10,000-100,000 gpd), Kubota Onsite Reclamation (KORe) compact buried MBR systems for small communities (5,000-25,000 gpd), MBT membrane thickening systems for sludge management, and HRDIP hazard-resilient ductile iron pipe products. The company has over 6,000+ commercial MBR plants worldwide and has been in the membrane systems business since 1985.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HRDIP (Hazard Resilient Ductile Iron Pipe): Earthquake and hazard resilient ductile iron pipe products for water distribution and transmission lines, ranging from 3 to 104 inches. Originally branded as ERDIP, rebranded to HRDIP to reflect broader disaster resilience beyond earthquakes.
• KORe (Kubota Onsite Reclamation)
• MBT (Membrane Thickening)
• Kubota Submerged Membrane Unit (SMU)

Quantifiable outcome

• TN levels as low as 3 mg/L
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Veolia Water Technologies (SUEZ/ZeeWeed): Veolia operates the ZeeWeed MBR product line, the most widely installed hollow fiber MBR system globally and Kubota's primary direct competitor in municipal wastewater membrane bioreactor applications in North America.
• Evoqua Water Technologies (Xylem): Evoqua (acquired by Xylem in 2023) supplies MBR and conventional wastewater treatment systems to municipal and industrial customers across North America, directly competing with Kubota SMU on large municipal MBR bids.
• Hitachi Aqua-Tech: Hitachi supplies flat sheet submerged MBR membrane systems closely analogous to Kubota's SMU technology, competing head-to-head in municipal and industrial wastewater applications globally including in North America.
• Toray Industries: Toray manufactures PVDF hollow fiber MBR membranes (Torayfil) used in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, competing with Kubota's flat sheet MBR systems in similar specifications and applications.
• Mitsubishi Chemical (Sterapore/LH membranes): Mitsubishi Chemical supplies Sterapore/SADF submerged MBR membrane modules, a comparable membrane bioreactor product competing with Kubota SMU in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment markets.
• Huber Technology (Huber SE): Huber supplies VRM® and other MBR membrane systems alongside complete wastewater treatment solutions for municipal and industrial customers in Europe and North America, overlapping with Kubota's MBR product portfolio.
• Aqua-Aerobic Systems: Aqua-Aerobic Systems provides MBR and conventional activated sludge systems for municipal wastewater treatment in North America, a direct competitor in the same specification-driven bid environment as Kubota.
• Ovivo (GlV): Ovivo supplies MBR systems and broader municipal water and wastewater treatment equipment to utilities in North America, competing with Kubota for municipal wastewater treatment project awards.

Emerging players

• Fluence Corporation: Fluence supplies decentralized and containerized MBR/wastewater treatment systems for smaller communities and industrial sites — a direct overlap with Kubota's KORe underground and Package Plant decentralized product lines.

Broad incumbents

• Pentair (X-Flow): Pentair's X-Flow division supplies hollow fiber ultrafiltration and MBR membranes for water and wastewater treatment globally, overlapping with Kubota's membrane offerings through a broader industrial water treatment portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvzBlgu_TctOsGQ1ZaY7GHA/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kubota-membrane-u-s-a-corporation
• Facebookfacebook.com/kubotaductileironpipe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kubota Membrane USA Corporation