What Desah does

Desah is a Dutch engineering company specialising in decentralised wastewater treatment systems, operating as a brand under Noardling B.V. since the 2024-2025 merger of Landustrie, Hubert Stavoren, and Desah. Founded in 2005 as a spin-off from Wetsus (European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology), the company designs, installs, and services modular, containerised biological treatment systems based on source-separating grey water (showers, washing machines, dishwashers) and black water (vacuum toilets). Its core technology combines UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactors for anaerobic digestion and biogas production with A-B (Adsorption/Bio-oxidation) systems, struvite reactors for phosphate recovery as agricultural fertiliser, and nanofiltration membranes for micropollutant removal.

The business model is project-based enterprise sales targeting municipalities, residential developers, government ministries, healthcare institutions, and recreation operators. Revenue is generated through (1) hardware sales of custom-designed systems ranging from 50 PE pilots to 6,000 PE government installations, (2) ongoing maintenance, service, and monitoring contracts executed from Sneek and Veenendaal, and (3) pilot installation rentals. Reference projects include the Dutch Ministry offices in The Hague (6,000 PE, 2016), Helsingborg RecoLab in Sweden (2,300 PE, 2021, Global Water Awards winner), Noorderhoek in Sneek (world's first district-level grey/black water separation), and installations in Amsterdam, Canada, and Ukraine. The company sells directly without resellers, supported by international trade fair presence and partnerships including Water Alliance and the Run4Life Horizon 2020 research consortium. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed.

Following the 2025 formation of Noardling B.V., Desah's offerings are positioned within a broader water-chain portfolio spanning decentralised wastewater treatment, water management, water intake, hydropower, and sewage treatment, with the combined entity representing more than 250 years of accumulated experience across the three predecessor brands.

Name

Desah

Legal name

Desah – part of Noardling B.V.

Website

https://desah.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Desah, a Dutch brand under Noardling B.V., designs and installs modular, containerised decentralised wastewater treatment systems based on source-separated grey and black water collection. It serves municipalities, residential developers, government ministries, healthcare institutions, and recreation operators across Europe, Canada, and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Anaerobic Treatment & Resource Recovery (Biogas/Co-digestion) (EUANADAH), Nutrient Recovery from Sludge (Struvite, Ammonia/Phosphorus Recovery) (EUANAHAD), Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD)

Keywords

• Decentralized wastewater treatment
• Source-separated sanitation
• Containerised water treatment
• Biogas recovery systems
• Water reuse solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sneek

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Systems Sales and Installation: Desah designs, assembles, installs, and commissions custom decentralised wastewater treatment systems for specific projects. Deliverables include feasibility studies, process and detail design, supply of equipment, construction/installation supervision, and in-house commissioning. Projects range from small-scale (50 PE) to large government installations (6,000 PE).
2. Maintenance, Service, and Monitoring Contracts: Desah offers ongoing maintenance, overhaul, repair, monitoring, and surveillance of installed systems. Custom maintenance contracts are available. Certified technicians based in Sneek and Veenendaal provide mechanical and electrical support. Spare parts supply and system rental are also offered.
3. Pilot Installation Rental: For black water treatment, Desah offers a pilot installation that can be rented for testing and demonstration purposes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Desah designs, manufactures, installs, and services decentralised, modular, containerised biological wastewater treatment systems based on source-separated collection of grey water (showers, washing machines, dishwashers) and black water (vacuum toilets). Systems integrate UASB anaerobic digestion for biogas production, struvite precipitation for phosphate recovery, A-B (Adsorption/Bio-oxidation) activated sludge treatment, vacuum collection, and nanofiltration polishing to deliver water reuse, energy recovery, and nutrient recovery at capacities from 50 to 6,000 population equivalents.

Product overview

Desah offers a portfolio of decentralised wastewater treatment solutions under Noardling, consisting of three main product lines: (1) Brongescheiden afvalwaterzuivering - source-separated wastewater treatment that collects grey and black water separately for optimal resource recovery; (2) Zwartwaterbehandeling - blackwater treatment using UASB reactor technology for biogas production and nutrient recovery; and (3) Gecontaineriseerde afvalwaterzuivering - containerised A-B biological treatment systems for flexible, mobile deployment. All products focus on circular water management with energy recovery, water reuse, and nutrient (struvite) production. The RecoLab in Helsingborg serves as a demonstration and research facility showcasing these technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Desah: Decentralised Wastewater Solutions - modular and flexible systems for decentralised purification of household wastewater

Products and services

• Source-Separated Wastewater Treatment (Brongescheiden afvalwaterzuivering) A compact and circular wastewater treatment system that separately collects and treats grey water (showers, washing machines, dishwashers) and black water (vacuum toilets) at source. Delivers drinking water savings of up to 30%, biogas production, heat recovery, struvite fertiliser production, and effective removal of micropollutants including medicine residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Targeted at new housing developments, redevelopment projects, government buildings, hospitals, and recreation operators seeking decentralised circular sanitation.
• Blackwater Treatment (Zwartwaterbehandeling) with UASB Reactor Compact and sustainable on-site toilet water treatment using an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor that converts organic matter in black water into biogas during anaerobic digestion. Additional process steps enable nitrogen removal and phosphate recovery as struvite (a directly applicable agricultural fertiliser). A pilot installation can be rented for testing and demonstration. Targeted at building and district-scale sanitation projects where energy and nutrient recovery are priorities.
• Containerised A-B (Adsorption/Bio-oxidation) Wastewater Treatment A compact biological wastewater treatment plant housed in a standard shipping container using the two-stage A-B system (Adsorption phase plus Bio-oxidation phase) separated by an anaerobic phase for nitrogen and phosphate removal. Fully automated, remote-controlled, scalable, and plug-and-play with no sewer connection or major civil works required. Targeted at temporary housing, refugee shelters, construction sites, emergency deployments, recreation parks, and as supplemental capacity for existing wastewater treatment plants.
• Maintenance, Service, Monitoring, and Spare Parts Contracts Ongoing maintenance, overhaul, repair, monitoring, and surveillance of installed Desah decentralised wastewater systems, delivered by certified technicians based in Sneek and Veenendaal with mechanical and electrical support, spare parts supply, and rental of installations. Custom maintenance contracts are offered on a tailor-made basis. Targeted at owners and operators of installed Desah systems across all customer segments.
• RecoLab Test and Research Facility (Helsingborg) A unique innovative and sustainable wastewater treatment installation located in Helsingborg's Oceanhamnen district, operating as both a research facility for testing source-separated sanitation technology and an exhibition area for visitors. Targeted at municipalities, researchers, technology partners, and prospective customers evaluating decentralised circular sanitation concepts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% drinking water savings in source-separated systems
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Water AlliancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2019Since November 2019, Desah is a partner of Water Alliance, the Dutch ecosystem partnership between government, knowledge institutions, and water industry. The partnership aligns Desah's sustainable sanitation concept with Water Alliance's innovative approach, providing access to joint exhibition opportunities (e.g., Climate Expo Houten, stand 126), referral networks, and collaborative project opportunities within the Dutch water technology cluster.
• Run4Life ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRun4Life is a European Horizon 2020 research project (Sewage as a Resource) focused on source-separated sanitation. Desah is one of the lead technology partners, contributing its decentralised treatment systems to multiple demo sites across Europe including the Lemmerweg demo site in Sneek (32 rental homes), the Helsingborg RecoLab, and other locations. The partnership involves knowledge institutes, municipalities, and technology companies co-developing and validating source-separated sanitation technology. Desah participates in workshops, virtual tours, and European Green Week events through this consortium.
• Wetsus (European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesah originated as a spin-off of Wetsus in 2005, and maintains a close collaborative relationship with the research centre. Desah and Wetsus co-developed the first-ever demonstration site for hospital wastewater treatment at Antonius Ziekenhuis in Sneek (2014), where wastewater technologies are tested and refined. The collaboration enables access to cutting-edge water treatment research.
• University of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesah partnered with the University of Alberta for the Belrose Farms full-scale demonstration project in Edmonton, Canada (initiated 2016). The University provides academic research validation and technical oversight. Desah designed and installed the source-separated wastewater treatment system as the future model for decentralised sanitation in Canada.
• Bioclear EarthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesah and Bioclear Earth are collaborating on the BAK (Biologically Active Carbon) project, investigating whether Biological Activated Carbon Filtration can be added to existing decentralised treatment technology to remove pharmaceutical micropollutants. This allows controlled microbiological processes in activated carbon filters through appropriate pre-treatment, enabling compliance with future legal requirements for water reuse at district level.
• BiocompactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesah collaborates with Biocompact on sustainable water use initiatives, including projects that track litres of drinking water saved through decentralised treatment systems. The collaboration supports marketing and quantification of environmental impact outcomes.
• Waterwerkx (Belrose Farms subsidiary)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWaterwerkx was established by Canadian project developer Belrose Farms specifically to commercialise the Desah wastewater concept in the Canadian market. Waterwerkx acts as the local project developer and implementation partner for Desah technology in Canada, managing demonstration projects and scaling to additional Canadian locations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Hydraloop: Dutch company producing decentralised grey water reuse devices for residential and small commercial sites. Adjacent technology (decentralised water recycling) with a smaller scale and consumer-oriented product focus compared to Desah's municipal-scale systems.
• Organica Water: Hungarian-origin provider of compact, decentralised biological wastewater treatment plants for urban and industrial applications. Comparable niche of smaller-footprint WWTPs and similar emerging-market positioning as Desah outside the centralised-WWTP mainstream.

Broad incumbents

• Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Global environmental services and water-treatment major with strong municipal and industrial wastewater offerings. Incumbent competitor in the broader European WWTP market where Desah's decentralised systems increasingly bid for the same circular-economy projects.
• Xylem (a Xylem brand): Global water technology company providing wastewater treatment equipment, services, and digital solutions. Competes with Desah in municipal wastewater tenders and increasingly in resource-recovery and decentralised applications.
• Waterleau: Belgian water and wastewater treatment solutions provider serving municipal and industrial clients across Europe. Broader incumbent in the same European water-treatment market; overlaps with Desah in municipal and industrial wastewater projects but offers a much wider portfolio.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water-treatment major offering municipal and industrial wastewater solutions including advanced nutrient removal and resource recovery. Represents the dominant incumbent against which Desah's decentralised alternative must compete on TCO and circularity.

Direct peers

• Fluence Corporation: Global provider of decentralised, containerised water and wastewater treatment solutions using modular MABR and other technologies. Comparable in product format (modular/containers), GTM (project-based municipal and industrial sales), and target customers (remote sites, resorts, small communities).
• Cambrian Innovation: US-based provider of resource-recovery wastewater treatment, including anaerobic digestion and EcoVolt systems that produce biogas and recover nutrients. Directly comparable technology stack (anaerobic digestion + resource recovery) and value proposition of turning wastewater into energy and fertiliser.
• Brightwater: Dutch technology company focused on small-scale, decentralised wastewater treatment and source-separated sanitation. Closest direct peer to Desah in the Netherlands, operating in the same niche with overlapping municipal and developer customers.
• Nijhuis Industries: Netherlands-based company delivering decentralised and packaged wastewater treatment systems for municipalities, industries, and remote sites. Comparable in offering (modular WWTPs), customer base (Dutch municipalities and developers), and engineering-led project delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desah

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Desah