Kalmar Water

What Kalmar Water does

Kalmar Vatten AB is a municipally owned water and wastewater utility headquartered in Kalmar, Sweden, wholly owned by Kalmar kommun. The company delivers three integrated services under a Swedish legal monopoly (Lag om allmänna vattentjänster): drinking water production and distribution, sewage collection and treatment, and stormwater management. It serves approximately 90% of properties within Kalmar municipality through 1,554 km of pipelines, 137 pump stations, 35 stormwater facilities, 3 drinking water treatment plants, and one main wastewater treatment plant that processes over 6 billion liters annually. The current treatment plant dates from 1963 and is being replaced by Kalmarsundsverket, a new circular resource recovery facility under construction with phased operation starting in 2026 and full completion targeted for 2027; the project carries a 14 billion SEK construction contract with ELIQUO MALMBERG WATER as general contractor.

The utility operates a four-stage wastewater treatment process (mechanical, chemical, biological, and final chemical purification) and has held REVAQ certification for high-quality agricultural sludge since 2009, producing approximately 5,000 tonnes of certified biosludge per year. Kalmarsundsverket will add circular capabilities including up to 80% water recycling, certified soil product output, and biogas generation. A parallel pilot project, funded primarily by Tillväxtverket with 12.4 million SEK out of a 25 million SEK total budget, is testing whether recycled wastewater can serve as a future drinking water source through 2029. Digital infrastructure includes remote-read water meters with leak detection, an SMS notification service, a "Mina sidor" customer portal, and an AI-powered chatbot for customer service.

Kalmar Vatten is entirely self-financed through VA-taxan (water and sewage fees), which are set annually by the municipal council on a cost-recovery basis — Swedish law prohibits the utility from generating profit. Revenue streams include recurring subscription fees (with fixed base, variable per-cubic-meter, and per-dwelling components), one-time connection fees ranging from ~179,000 to ~224,000 SEK for single-family homes, industrial wastewater surcharges, and fees for ancillary services. The municipal council approved a 15% usage fee increase for 2026 to fund ongoing investment. Customer segments are split across private homeowners (primary), commercial/industrial properties, and a smaller agricultural segment, with no single customer representing material revenue dependency given the broad ~90% municipal connection rate.

Name

Kalmar Water

Legal name

Kalmar Vatten AB.

Website

https://www.kalmarvatten.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kalmar Water is a drinking water and wastewater distributor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Utilities (22)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Purple Pipe / Recycled Water Distribution Utilities (Networks, Pressure Zones) (EUANAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sewer Pump/Lift Stations & Wet Wells (EUANACAC), Field Operations & Repair Services (Emergency Response, Leak Repair, Crew Dispatch) (EUANAKAL)

Keywords

• Municipal water utility
• Drinking water supply
• Wastewater treatment
• Stormwater management
• Sewage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalmar

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VA-taxa - Usage Fees (Brukningsavgift): Recurring fees charged to property owners for water supply, sewage, and stormwater services. Composed of a fixed base fee per property, a variable consumption-based fee per cubic meter of water, and a per-dwelling-unit fee. The utility operates on a break-even basis with no profit allowed under Swedish law. Fees are approved annually by the municipal council.
2. Connection Fees (Anläggningsavgift): One-time fees charged for connecting new properties to the municipal water and sewage system. Covers costs for expanding the public infrastructure. Calculated based on property size, construction type, and services provided (water, sewage, stormwater).
3. Industrial wastewater surcharges: Additional fees for industrial wastewater exceeding normal household levels. Applied for BOD7 over 200 g/m3, phosphorus over 7 g/m3, nitrogen over 40 g/m3, or suspended solids over 270 g/m3.
4. Additional services and fees: Fees for services outside the standard VA-tax, including water meter replacements, connection inspections, and special administrative services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Kalmar Vatten is a municipal water utility providing drinking water supply, wastewater (sewage) treatment, and stormwater management to approximately 90% of properties in Kalmar municipality. It operates an integrated physical network of 1,554 km of pipelines, 137 pump stations, 35 stormwater facilities, 3 drinking water treatment plants, and is building the Kalmarsundsverket circular resource recovery plant (operational 2026-2027). The utility is funded entirely by regulated VA-taxan fees under Swedish municipal law and operates on a non-profit, self-cost recovery basis.

Product overview

Kalmar Vatten operates as a municipal water and wastewater utility providing integrated water services across Kalmar municipality. The company delivers three core services: drinking water supply (dricksvatten), sewage treatment (spillvatten), and stormwater management (dagvatten). Key infrastructure includes the new Kalmarsundsverket circular water treatment plant scheduled for 2026-2027, three drinking water production facilities, one main treatment plant, 35 stormwater facilities, 137 pump stations, and 1,554 km of water and sewage pipelines. Digital services include the Mina sidor customer portal, SMS notification system, AI chat bot, and VA-anmälan e-service for applications. The company also provides specialized equipment services including grease/oil separators and LTA pump stations, plus educational programs like Ulla i skolan using VR technology. Approximately 90% of municipal properties are connected to the public network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Supply (Dricksvatten) Production and delivery of drinking water to residential and commercial properties in Kalmar municipality, sourced from groundwater via the Nybroåsen ecosystem and supplied through 3 drinking water treatment plants.
• Sewage and Wastewater Treatment (Spillvatten) Collection and treatment of wastewater from households and businesses through a four-step purification process (mechanical, chemical, biological, final chemical) at the treatment plant before discharge to Kalmarsund. Treats over 6 billion liters annually.
• Stormwater Management (Dagvatten) Management and treatment of rainwater and meltwater from roofs, yards, and roads to prevent flooding and protect water quality, delivered through 35 dedicated stormwater facilities.
• Kalmarsundsverket (Circular Resource Recovery Plant) New circular water treatment plant (kretsloppsverk) being built to replace the aging 1963 facility, achieving at least 35% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus emissions, up to 80% water recycling, certified soil improvement product production, and biogas generation for electricity and heat.
• Water Kiosk (Vattenkiosken) 24/7 self-service water kiosk at Grindängsvägen 4 for professional water collection by logistics companies and free emergency drinking water access for residents during outages or discolored water events. Uses digital registration and payment.
• Mina sidor (Customer Self-Service Portal) Online customer portal where users can view invoices, check consumption history, submit meter readings, and manage their water subscriptions via e-legitimation or customer number.
• SMS Notification Service (SMS-tjänst) SMS alert system notifying registered customers about planned water shutoffs, leaks, contamination warnings, flooding risks, traffic disruptions, and upcoming VA work in their area.
• AI Customer Service Chat (AI-chattbot) AI-powered chat assistant using natural language processing that helps customers quickly find information about water services through text-based conversation.
• VA Application E-service (VA-anmälan) Electronic service for submitting applications for new service connections, temporary water supply, grease trap registrations, oil separator registrations, and industrial wastewater permits.
• Digital Water Meters Remote-read digital water meters that automatically transmit consumption data, include leak detection alerts, and eliminate the need for manual meter reading by customers.
• LTA Low Pressure Sewage System Low-pressure sewage system (Lätt Trycksatt Avlopp) for properties in difficult terrain areas, with each property receiving a pump station that pumps sewage to the municipal network. Kalmar Vatten owns and maintains the equipment.
• Grease and Oil Separator Service Grease traps for food establishments (restaurants, cafes, bakeries) and oil separators for workshops, gas stations, and parking facilities to prevent fat and oil from entering the sewage system.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Research actors (Forskningsaktörer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Research partners collaborating on the pilot project evaluating recycled water as future drinking water source. The project involves advanced treatment processes being scientifically tested under multi-year conditions meeting Swedish Food Agency requirements.
• Region Kalmar län (Region Kalmar County)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Regional authority co-financing the pilot project on recycled water as drinking water source. The project budget totals approximately 25 million SEK with shared funding between Tillväxtverket, Kalmar Vatten, and Region Kalmar län.
• ELIQUO MALMBERG WATERcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025General contractor for Kalmarsundsverket project since January 2025. Responsible for majority of construction work with focus on mechanical and process expertise. Project target completion is 2027.
• Serneke Anläggning ABcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 August 2022Original main contractor selected in May 2019 for Kalmarsundsverket project. Contract value approximately 1.4 billion SEK. Partnership agreement signed December 4, 2019. Role transitioned to ELIQUO MALMBERG WATER in 2025.
• Kalmarsundskommissionen (Kalmarsund Commission)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration body working with Kalmar municipality and Kalmar Vatten on water-related initiatives including the annual water conference.
• Svenskt Vatten (Swedish Water & Wastewater Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association providing expertise, standards, guidelines, and educational materials. Kalmar Vatten references Svenskt Vatten tools and content for water conservation education and circular economy communication.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stockholm Vatten och Avfall: Municipal water and wastewater utility serving Stockholm, the largest in Sweden. Operates under the same self-cost legal model and provides drinking water, sewage treatment, and stormwater management to a comparable set of customer segments (residential, commercial, industrial).
• Göteborgs Stad Kretslopp och vatten: Municipal water and wastewater utility operated by the City of Gothenburg. Provides drinking water supply, sewage treatment, and stormwater services under the same Swedish municipal utility framework, making it a structurally close peer despite serving a larger population.
• VA SYD: Municipal water and wastewater utility serving Malmö and several surrounding municipalities in Skåne. Closely comparable in product offering (drinking water, sewage, stormwater) and customer mix, with similar circular-economy and biosludge initiatives.
• NSVA (Nordvästra Skånes Vatten och Avlopp): Inter-municipal water and wastewater company serving several municipalities in northwest Skåne. Operates under the same Swedish VA-taxa framework and offers a directly comparable set of services including drinking water production, sewage treatment, and stormwater management.
• MittSverige Vatten: Inter-municipal water and wastewater company serving Sundsvall and surrounding municipalities. Provides drinking water, sewage treatment, and stormwater services under the same Swedish self-cost model, with a comparable scale and customer base to Kalmar Vatten.

Regional players

• Norrvatten: Regional bulk drinking water producer supplying raw and treated water to multiple municipalities north of Stockholm. Comparable in its focus on drinking water production and advanced treatment, but operates at a different tier (wholesale vs. end-customer distribution) than Kalmar Vatten.
• Sydvatten: Regional water utility supplying drinking water to municipalities in Skåne. Comparable in drinking water production infrastructure and the same Swedish regulatory environment, though it operates as a wholesale supplier rather than a vertically integrated municipal utility.

Broad incumbents

• Tekniska Verken (Linköping): Municipal multi-utility company owned by Linköping municipality providing water, wastewater, district heating, electricity, biogas, and waste services. Comparable water/wastewater operations sit alongside broader energy and waste businesses, making it a broader incumbent than Kalmar Vatten's pure-play utility model.
• Mälarenergi: Municipal multi-utility serving Västerås with water, wastewater, district heating, electricity, and broadband. Directly comparable water and sewage operations under the same municipal ownership structure, but bundled with significant energy businesses not present at Kalmar Vatten.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_Ttu4XkW8STLexPrTXLuYA
• Facebookfacebook.com/kalmarvatten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kalmar-vatten

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Kalmar Water