What ClearBlu Environmental does

ClearBlu Environmental is a privately held, US-based industrial wastewater treatment company founded over 25 years ago and headquartered in Monterey, California, with field operations across California, Colorado, and Oregon. The company functions as a single-vendor design/build contractor that engineers, manufactures, installs, and services end-to-end aerobic wastewater treatment systems for industrial facilities producing high-strength effluent, primarily breweries, wineries, food processors, industrial wash bay operators, and municipalities. Customer engagement spans direct sales, custom system design, equipment supply, installation, and ongoing service contracts, with named customers such as Scheid Vineyards, Castoro Cellars, Daou Vineyards, Anderson Valley Brewing, Rogue Ale & Spirits, Worthy Brewing, and RDO Equipment generating documented BOD reductions of 85-98%+ and annual savings ranging from $30,000 to $60,000+.

The company's technical core is its patented Ultra Fine Bubble (UFB) / nanobubble aeration platform, which produces sub-0.02mm bubbles in a negative-pressure environment — yielding exponentially greater gas-transfer surface area than conventional 3-4mm compressed-air bubbles and enabling aerobic digestion completion in 6-8 hours versus 60 days for anaerobic systems. Supporting technologies include a clog-free dewatering screw press, an updraft aerobic biodigester with fixed-film polypropylene honeycomb media, self-cleaning waterfall wedge wire screens, pH balancing systems, lift stations, and a proprietary microbial product line (dry, liquid, and tablet Bacillus/Pseudomonas blends). Combined, these deliver stated outcomes of 98%+ BOD reduction, up to 70% lower electrical consumption, 90% less water use, and 30% fewer chemical inputs compared with conventional alternatives.

ClearBlu monetizes through a mix of hardware sales (proprietary equipment purchased outright), professional services (engineering, project management, installation labor), recurring rentals/leases, managed service contracts, and fixed monthly treatment contracts. Revenue per customer is driven by project scope — documented customer energy savings range from $30,000/year (Bergfeld Vineyards) to $60,000+/year (Castoro Cellars) — and by ongoing microbial consumable replenishment. The company is founder-led (Robert Bixby, Founder and CEO), bootstrapped without disclosed institutional capital or M&A activity, and markets primarily through content-driven case studies, trade conference presence (e.g., Craft Brewers Conference), and a partner ecosystem that includes Topp Industries, BJM Pumps, Kasco Marine, and the PG&E Wine Industry Efficiency Solutions Program.

Name

ClearBlu Environmental

Legal name

ClearBlu Environmental

Website

https://clrblu.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ClearBlu Environmental is a US-based industrial wastewater treatment company that designs, manufactures, installs, and services aerobic digestion systems using patented nanobubble aeration technology for breweries, wineries, food processors, wash bays, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wastewater Treatment

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Waste Treatment (Physical/Chemical) & Neutralization (BPALAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE)

Keywords

• Industrial wastewater treatment
• Aerobic digestion systems
• Nanobubble aeration technology
• Water reclamation solutions
• Design build contractor

Headquarters

HQ city

Monterey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Manufacturing & Sales: ClearBlu manufactures and sells proprietary wastewater treatment equipment including lift stations, waterfall screens, pH balancing systems, biodigesters, dewatering screw presses, aeration units, and microbes. Equipment can be purchased outright.
2. System Design & Build Services: Full-service design/build contractor providing custom engineered wastewater treatment systems. Includes system design, installation, and commissioning. Revenue from engineering, project management, and installation labor.
3. Equipment Rental / Leasing: ClearBlu offers rental or lease options for equipment as an alternative to large upfront capital purchase, allowing customers to spread costs over time.
4. Service & Maintenance Contracts: ClearBlu provides ongoing service contracts to maintain equipment and reduce downtime. They guarantee everything they design and install and offer monthly or bi-monthly service visits.
5. Fixed Monthly Treatment Contracts: ClearBlu offers contracting options for treatment systems with maintenance included for a fixed monthly cost.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ClearBlu Environmental is a full-service design/build contractor that designs, engineers, manufactures, installs, and services industrial wastewater treatment and water reclamation systems. Core offerings include proprietary microbubble/nanobubble aeration, updraft aerobic biodigesters, screw-press dewatering, wedge-wire screening, pH balancing, lift stations, microbial products, and turnkey package systems for breweries, wineries, food processors, wash bays, and municipalities.

Product overview

ClearBlu Environmental offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial wastewater treatment and water reclamation products organized across three treatment stages: Pre-Treatment (pH Balancing Systems, Dewatering Hoppers, Lift Stations, Settling Tanks, 3 Phase Separators, Waterfall Screens, Dewatering Screw Press), Primary Treatment (Biodigesters, Microbubble/Nanobubble Aeration Systems, Pond Treatment & Aeration, Freshwater Aeration, Package Systems, and three microbial products: Dry Microbes, Liquid Microbes, and Aquaculture Tablets), and Tertiary Treatment (Chlor Clean Detergent). The company's core differentiation is its proprietary aerobic digestion technology using Ultra Fine Bubble (UFB) aeration, which produces nanobubbles smaller than 0.02mm that remain suspended for hours, enabling complete aerobic digestion in 6-8 hours versus 60 days for conventional anaerobic processes. ClearBlu functions as a single-solution vendor providing design/engineering, manufacturing, installation, and ongoing service for complete end-to-end wastewater treatment systems. Equipment is available individually or as integrated package systems, with options for custom design to serve breweries, wineries, food processors, wash bays, municipalities, and agricultural operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lift Stations Self-cleaning, fully automated pumping stations that move wastewater to higher elevations or between treatment stages, with duplexing configurations and high-temperature stainless steel pumps suited to industrial wastewater.
• Waterfall Screens (Wedge Wire Screens) Self-cleaning wedge wire screens at a steep 55-degree angle with automatic spray bars (using 90% less water than rotary screens), stainless steel construction, and separation down to 0.5mm.
• pH Balancing Systems Automatic pH adjustment systems that sense initial pH and dose caustic or acid as needed, with digital controls, stainless steel mixing eductors, self-cleaning probes, and 30% fewer chemical usage than standard systems.
• Settling Tanks Gravity sedimentation tanks that separate heavy solids, oils and grease from wastewater, available in cone-bottom configurations with automatic purge valves.
• Dewatering Hoppers Self-dumping hoppers with reinforced stainless steel dewatering windows that capture solids from screen effluent, providing approximately 4 square feet of dewatering surface.
• Dewatering Screw Press Clog-free screw press that eliminates sedimentation and sludge thickening tanks using screw and moving rings, controlled by PLC, with very low power and water consumption versus belt press and centrifuge alternatives.
• 3 Phase Separators Fiberglass clarifiers that separate wastewater into three phases (solids, oils, and water) through multiple chambers, lighter and easier to install than concrete structures.
• Biodigesters (Updraft Aerobic Digestion) Continuous flow updraft aerobic digesters using nanobubble technology and molded polypropylene honeycomb media that make bacteria 60% more efficient, providing thousands of square feet of fixed-film surface area.
• Microbubble and Nanobubble Aeration Systems Patented Ultra Fine Bubble (UFB) aeration systems producing sub-0.02mm bubbles that remain suspended for hours and reach the bottom of 20-foot ponds, enabling complete aerobic digestion without sludge hauling or pond dredging.
• Pond Treatment & Aeration Surface-mounted microbubble aerators that create a highly oxygenated environment throughout the entire tank or pond depth for rapid aerobic bacterial digestion of organic material.
• Freshwater Aeration (Kasco Surface Aerators) Self-contained, lightweight floating Kasco surface aerators for freshwater applications, delivering up to 3.0 lbs of oxygen per horsepower per hour for aquaculture, agricultural ponds, industrial plants, and municipal wastewater.
• Dry Microbes Freeze-dried proprietary microbial blend on wheat bran containing 7 Bacillus and Pseudomonas strains at 1 billion CFU per gram, supplied in 8-ounce dissolvable packets for biological wastewater treatment.
• Liquid Microbes Pre-hydrated, undiluted spore mixture of six patented Pseudomonas and Bacillus strains at 5 or 10 billion CFU per ounce, designed for immediate action and steady peristaltic-pump dosing.
• Aquaculture Tablets Solid Bacillus spore tablets (3 billion CFU/g) for water quality maintenance and sludge reduction in aquaculture systems, effective across pH 4.0-11.0 and 45-120°F.
• Chlor Clean Detergent Detergent product used for wastewater sterilization and final-stage tertiary cleaning and disinfection.
• Package Systems Complete pre-designed treatment system packages combining lift stations, screens, pH balancing, and aeration components for facilities with space constraints or phased expansion needs.
• Industrial Wastewater Treatment Design/Build Services End-to-end design, engineering, manufacturing/procurement, installation, and ongoing service for custom industrial wastewater treatment systems serving breweries, wineries, food processors, wash bays, and municipalities.
• Service and Maintenance Contracts Ongoing service contracts that maintain ClearBlu-designed and installed equipment, including fixed-monthly treatment contracting with maintenance to reduce downtime and guarantee performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ BOD reduction
• +14 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Topp IndustriescoreTechnology or IntegrationClearBlu partners with Topp Industries to supply high-quality fiberglass basins for lift stations. Topp Industries fiberglass basins are lightweight and corrosion-resistant, outperforming traditional concrete structures in acidic wastewater environments. ClearBlu also offers Topp Industries duplexing lift stations featuring two pumps operating in sequence for redundancy, with alternating control to extend pump lifespan.
• PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) Wine Industry Efficiency Solutions ProgramsupportingOthersPacific Gas and Electric's Wine Industry Efficiency Solutions Program (WIES) introduces ClearBlu Environmental to winery customers seeking energy efficiency upgrades. The program facilitates rebates for customers who reduce energy consumption by switching to ClearBlu's microbubble aeration technology. Examples include $30,000+ rebate for Bergfeld Vineyards and $32,417 rebate for Scheid Vineyards.
• BJM PumpssupportingTechnology or IntegrationBJM Pumps supplies specialized SX22CSS-F submersible pumps for ClearBlu's primary lift stations. These 316 stainless steel pumps handle high-temperature (up to 200°F), highly acidic wastewater and pass solids without clogging. The partnership provides reliable pump technology for challenging brewery and industrial wastewater applications.
• Mi-T-M CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMi-T-M Corporation sponsors ClearBlu Environmental's video content and website resources. This marketing partnership helps raise visibility for ClearBlu's wastewater solutions.
• Kasco Marine (Kasco Surface Aerators)supportingTechnology or IntegrationClearBlu distributes Kasco Surface Aerators known for delivering up to 3.0 lbs of oxygen per horsepower per hour. Kasco aerators are self-contained, lightweight floating units used for both freshwater and wastewater aeration applications including commercial aquaculture, agricultural ponds, and municipal wastewater.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Xylem Inc. Xylem is a global water technology leader with industrial pumps, aeration, and treatment solutions. Its broad portfolio spans everything ClearBlu offers (aerators, lift stations, treatment systems) but at substantially larger scale and across all geographies.
• Evoqua Water Technologies: Evoqua (now part of Xylem) is a large-scale provider of industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment services and equipment. A broad incumbent that competes with ClearBlu in industrial wastewater, with far greater scale, financing capability, and breadth of offerings.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia designs, builds, and services industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment plants globally. A broad incumbent in industrial effluent treatment with significantly deeper engineering, project finance, and international deployment capacity than ClearBlu.

Others

• Kasco Marine: Kasco Marine is a manufacturer of surface aerators and fountain products distributed by ClearBlu for wastewater, aquaculture, and pond applications. Functionally an ecosystem partner and supplier rather than a competitor, but offers overlapping surface aeration products in adjacent markets.
• Topp Industries: Topp Industries supplies fiberglass basins and lift stations used by ClearBlu as core components in its treatment systems. Functions as a component supplier/partner rather than direct competitor, but is comparable in serving the same end customers with adjacent equipment.

Direct peers

• Fluence Corporation: Fluence delivers decentralized and packaged wastewater treatment plants for industrial and municipal customers, including anaerobic/aerobic digestion and MBR systems. It is a comparable provider of pre-engineered, modular wastewater solutions targeting small-to-mid industrial sites.
• Parkson Corporation: Parkson supplies industrial and municipal wastewater treatment equipment including aeration, clarification, and biological treatment systems. It is a comparable equipment-and-systems integrator serving overlapping industrial and municipal end markets with custom-engineered treatment solutions.
• Smith & Loveless: Smith & Loveless manufactures packaged wastewater treatment systems, lift stations, and headworks equipment for municipalities and industrial customers. Comparable custom-engineered product portfolio with similar design/build and aftermarket service orientation.
• Moleaer: Moleaer develops industrial-scale nanobubble and microbubble generation technology for water treatment, aquaculture, and resource recovery. It is the most direct technology peer to ClearBlu's UFB aeration platform, with overlapping applications in industrial wastewater, pond/lagoon aeration, and oxygen-transfer improvement.
• Aqua-Aerobic Systems: Aqua-Aerobic Systems designs and manufactures aeration, biological treatment, and clarification equipment for municipal and industrial wastewater. Overlapping product categories (aeration, biological treatment, package systems) and similar customization approach make it a close comparable.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCH7sT3sdT7AzYE7eWwfLryw
• Facebookfacebook.com/clearbluservice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clearblu-environmental

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 ClearBlu Environmental