Northwest Water Systems
Northwest Water Systems is a privately held Satellite Management Agency founded in 1981 that provides technical, managerial, financial, and engineering services to 650+ public water systems across Washington State, serving government, education, and developer clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersPort Orchard, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Northwest Water Systems does
Northwest Water Systems, Inc. is a privately held Satellite Management Agency (SMA) founded in 1981 and headquartered in Port Orchard, Washington. The company provides technical, managerial, and financial services to public water systems across Washington State, with a stated footprint of 650+ Group A and Group B water systems, making it the geographically largest SMA in the state. Its service portfolio spans four core pillars — management services (regulatory compliance, cross-connection control, water quality sampling, operations and maintenance, 24-hour emergency response), utility billing (meter reading, statement preparation, payment processing, accounts receivable), financial management (QuickBooks record keeping, accounts payable, payroll, tax filings), and engineering and design (planning documents, water system design, water treatment, funding applications) — supplemented by compliance modules such as Lead Service Line Inventory surveys, fire hydrant inspections, and treatment monitoring.
The technology stack is conventional SaaS tooling layered for utility workflows: QuickBooks for client financial records, QuickBase for compliance forms and surveys, ePayUB for customer bill payment, The Compliance Engine for fire hydrant inspection submissions, and Sentry Internet (Washington State DOH) for water system data. Customer-facing functions are delivered through self-serve web portals covering water availability requests, real estate documentation, bill payment, and issue submission, while field services are dispatched through a roster of certified operators, licensed plumbers and electricians, and professional engineers. A formal partnership with Duckworth Pump & Well Services, including shared personnel, extends service coverage into pump, well, and treatment system specialties.
Revenue is generated primarily through monthly subscriptions for management, utility billing, and financial services contracts with individual water systems, supplemented by project-based engineering fees and transaction-based charges for water availability letters ($126.68) and lender letters ($65). Customers are distributed across at least ten Washington counties and span government, education, and developer segments, with contract relationships supported by regulatory-agency referrals and client referrals rather than paid marketing. The company applied a 3.2% CPI-based price increase to management contracts for 2026 and relocated its headquarters in February 2026, indicating stable recurring revenue and ongoing operational investment.
Northwest Water Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northwest Water Systems
- Legal name
- Northwest Water Systems, Inc
- Website
- https://nwwatersystems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Northwest Water Systems is a privately held Satellite Management Agency founded in 1981 that provides technical, managerial, financial, and engineering services to 650+ public water systems across Washington State, serving government, education, and developer clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northwest Water Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Utility Management Services
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins) (EUANAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Northwest Water Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Orchard
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northwest Water Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Water System Management Services: Comprehensive management services for Group A and Group B public water systems including compliance reporting, cross-connection control, water quality sampling, valve and hydrant operations, system flushing, and routine operations and maintenance activities.
- Utility Billing Services: Full-service utility billing including meter reading, billing statement preparation and mailing, payment processing with deposits to water system accounts, penalty calculation, accounts receivable monitoring, and service suspension assistance.
- Financial Management Services: Financial management including system checking account maintenance, accounts payable management, QuickBooks financial records, payroll processing, utility tax payments, CPA review preparation, and lien filing services.
- Engineering and Design Services: Engineering services including planning documents, water system design, source approval, reservoir design, hydraulic analysis, water treatment design, project management, water right assistance, and funding assistance applications.
- Repair Services: Emergency water outage response and equipment repair including diagnosing out of water situations, low pressure, booster pump systems, pressure tanks, water meters, leaks, and pumphouse construction and plumbing maintenance.
- Water Availability Letters: Processing fees for water availability determinations required for property transactions and building permits. Fee of $126.68 per request.
- Real Estate Documentation Services: Lender letters and water sample documentation for real estate transactions. Lender letter fee of $65.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Water Availability Request - Standard Processing |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Lender Letter - Real Estate Transaction Support |
| Subscription | Monthly | Management Services - Water System SMA |
| Subscription | Monthly | Utility Billing Services |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Engineering Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Northwest Water Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northwest Water Systems is a privately held, for-profit water utility management company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Port Orchard, WA. Operating as a Satellite Management Agency (SMA), it manages Group A and Group B Public Water Systems on behalf of owners in Washington State, providing operations, utility billing, financial management, engineering, repair, regulatory compliance, and ancillary real estate and inspection services. It is the largest SMA in Washington State, overseeing more than 650 water systems.
Product overview
Northwest Water Systems operates as the geographically largest Satellite Management Agency (SMA) in Washington State, managing over 650 Group A and Group B Public Water Systems since 1981. The company offers an integrated suite of water utility management services organized around four core pillars: Management Services (regulatory compliance, water quality monitoring, emergency response), Utility Billing and Financial Management (billing processing, accounts payable, QuickBooks record keeping), Engineering and Design (planning documents, water system design, water treatment, funding assistance), and specialized compliance modules (Cross-Connection Control, Lead Service Line Inventory, Fire Hydrant Inspections, Treatment Monitoring). The portfolio also includes transaction-related services for real estate and lender documentation. As of early 2017, more than 650 Group A and Group B Public Water Systems rely on NWS services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Water System Management (Satellite Management Agency Services) Full operational management of public water systems, including compliance, reporting, and day-to-day oversight, delivered to owners of Group A and Group B Public Water Systems in Washington State.
- Utility Billing Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 650 water systems managed as the geographically largest SMA in Washington State
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Northwest Water Systems
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Northwest Water Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
Northwest Water Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Duckworth Pump & Well ServicescoreDuckworth Pump & Well Services is positioned as NWS's 'Partner In The World Of Water' on the company homepage. The partnership provides specialized pump maintenance, repairs, water treatment systems, filters, and RO systems. NWS directs customers with Duckworth-related requests to contact duckworthpump.com. Several staff members (Glenn Prindle, Mat Ten Elshof, Savi Newman) work across both organizations, indicating shared personnel and integrated service delivery for pump and well services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Northwest Water Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RH2 Engineering: Washington-based engineering firm specializing in municipal water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure; provides planning, design, and rate/financial services to the same small-utility market NWS serves.
- Confluence Engineering: Pacific Northwest water and wastewater engineering firm serving small municipal systems with planning, design, and compliance support directly overlapping NWS's engineering pillar.
- Ackerman Estvold: PNW civil and environmental engineering firm serving municipal water/wastewater clients with compliance, planning, and design services — overlaps NWS engineering offerings and target utilities.
- PACE Utility Partners: Satellite Management Agency providing outsourced utility management, billing, and compliance services to small public water and wastewater systems — directly comparable to NWS in business model and customer segment.
Broad incumbents
- Carollo Engineers: Large environmental engineering firm focused exclusively on water — competes for planning, design, and treatment work on small utilities, though typically at the larger end of the municipal market.
- Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with extensive water/wastewater practice serving municipal utilities — competes for engineering, compliance, and PFAS work that NWS also performs at a small-system level.
- Inframark: Nationwide outsourced operations, maintenance, and billing services for water/wastewater utilities — overlaps NWS on utility billing and O&M services at a much larger scale and geography.
- Utility Service Group (Veolia): Large-scale water and wastewater utility management and outsourcing business within Veolia — broad incumbent in the same operational-services category, but serving much larger utilities nationally rather than the small-system niche NWS dominates.
Others
- FCS Group (now Raftelis): Utility financial and rate consulting firm serving municipal water/wastewater clients — overlaps NWS's financial management and rate-study services with Washington exposure through Raftelis's regional practice.
Regional players
- Murray, Smith & Associates: Engineering consulting firm supporting municipal water/wastewater utilities in the PNW — comparable service mix on the engineering and regulatory side, though more regionally distributed.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Northwest Water Systems social profiles
Digital presenceNorthwest Water Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northwest Water Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Northwest Water Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northwest Water Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northwest Water Systems
What does Northwest Water Systems do?
Northwest Water Systems is a privately held, for-profit water utility management company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Port Orchard, WA. Operating as a Satellite Management Agency (SMA), it manages Group A and Group B Public Water Systems on behalf of owners in Washington State, providing operations, utility billing, financial management, engineering, repair, regulatory compliance, and ancillary real estate and inspection services. It is the largest SMA in Washington State, overseeing more than 650 water systems.
Is Northwest Water Systems a public or private company?
Northwest Water Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Northwest Water Systems founded?
Northwest Water Systems was founded in 1981. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Northwest Water Systems based?
Northwest Water Systems is headquartered in Port Orchard, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northwest Water Systems make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Water System Management Services are the primary driver. The others are utility Billing Services, financial Management Services, engineering and Design Services, repair Services, water Availability Letters and real Estate Documentation Services.
Who are Northwest Water Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RH2 Engineering, Confluence Engineering, Ackerman Estvold and PACE Utility Partners. Broad incumbents are Carollo Engineers, Tetra Tech, Inframark and Utility Service Group (Veolia). FCS Group (now Raftelis) is listed as an others. Murray, Smith & Associates is listed as a regional player.
Does Northwest Water Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northwest Water Systems.
What industry is Northwest Water Systems in?
Northwest Water Systems's product category is Water Utility Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of EUANAKAJ, NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins). Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.