Water Systems

What Water Systems does

Water Systems, Inc. is a family-owned water and wastewater treatment services company headquartered in West Columbia, South Carolina, founded in 1980 by Jack and Joan Kates and transitioned to Jay Kates in 1999. The company operates as a single-source full-stack provider across four integrated service divisions: Operations Services (plant operations, compliance sampling, meter reading, pump station management, DHEC audits, and 24-hour on-call emergency response), Maintenance Services (facility upgrades, pump station rehabilitation, crane truck service, pretreatment systems, cross-connection/backflow testing, sludge removal, and line repairs), Laboratory Services (in-house toxicity testing including WET, TIE, WER, and RTA studies, plus microbiology testing for coliforms and E.coli), and Reporting Services (Consumer Confidence Reports, DMRs, MORs, SOPs, and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans).

Its underlying technology is grounded in conventional water and wastewater treatment science — biological treatment, physical-chemical processes, activated sludge process control with microscopic analysis, and EPA-style toxicity and microbiology laboratory methodologies — rather than software or AI-driven systems. The company holds multiple South Carolina operator licenses (Biological Wastewater Treatment, Water Treatment, Water Distribution, Physical/Chemical) and operates as a certified Lab Director (SC40107), with credentials concentrated in its principal operator Jack W. Kates Jr.

The business model is professional services-based, generating revenue through negotiated contracts with municipal water/wastewater utilities and industrial clients throughout South Carolina. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured per contract rather than via standardized rates. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales: phone, email, in-person office consultations, and a basic informational website, with customer acquisition driven primarily by long-standing regional reputation, regulatory relationships, and community presence rather than formal marketing. The company is family-owned with no external investors, no M&A activity, and no disclosed headcount or revenue figures.

Name

Water Systems

Legal name

Water Systems, Inc.

Website

https://sewaterlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Water Systems, Inc. is a family-owned water and wastewater treatment services company in West Columbia, South Carolina, providing operations, maintenance, laboratory, and compliance reporting services to municipal and industrial clients across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Treatment Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Systems & Treatment (Pumps/Boilers/Water Heaters/Filtration) (IMAIABAK)

Keywords

• Water treatment services
• Wastewater treatment operations
• Plant operations maintenance
• Environmental laboratory testing
• Regulatory compliance reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

West Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plant Operations and Maintenance Services: Contract services for water and wastewater plant operations including biological treatment, water treatment, physical-chemical processes, distributions, and collection systems. Services include 24-hour on-call emergency response and regular maintenance operations.
2. Laboratory Testing and Analysis: In-house laboratory services for toxicity testing, microbiology analysis, compliance sampling, and water quality parameter services. Includes reporting and data submission services.
3. Field Services: On-site field services including pump station inspections, repairs, water/wastewater line repairs, confined space entry, composite sampling, smoke testing, backflow testing, sludge removal, and crane truck services.
4. Consulting and Reporting Services: Consultation, troubleshooting, plant evaluations, DHEC audits, Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR), Monthly Operating Reports (MOR), and regulatory compliance documentation services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Water Systems, Inc. is a family-owned contract services company that delivers integrated water and wastewater treatment solutions to municipal and industrial clients in South Carolina. Its core offering spans plant operations and maintenance, in-house laboratory analysis (toxicity and microbiology), and regulatory compliance reporting, with 24-hour on-call emergency field service. The company positions itself as a single-source provider handling jobs from start to finish under one operations and maintenance contract.

Product overview

Water Systems, Inc. is a family-owned water and wastewater treatment services company offering a unified suite of four integrated service divisions: Operations Services (plant operations, compliance sampling, meter reading, pump station management), Maintenance Services (facility upgrades, repairs, equipment maintenance), Laboratory Services (in-house toxicity and microbiology testing, WET testing, environmental assessments), and Reporting Services (compliance reports, data compilation, environmental documentation). These services are designed to handle water and wastewater projects from start to finish, providing plant operations, maintenance, and laboratory analysis with comprehensive reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operations Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WEASC Capitol DistrictminorOthersProfessional membership organization for water and environmental professionals in the Capitol District of South Carolina.
• WEASC Lower Savannah DistrictminorOthersProfessional membership organization for water and environmental professionals in the Lower Savannah district of South Carolina.
• SC Rural Water AssociationminorOthersState association supporting rural water and wastewater systems in South Carolina with training, technical assistance, and advocacy.
• Water Environment Association of SCminorOthersProfessional association for water environment professionals in South Carolina, providing education, networking, and professional development.
• Ducks UnlimitedminorOthersWildlife conservation organization. Water Systems supports through charitable contributions and community involvement.
• South Carolina Wild Turkey FederationminorOthersConservation organization supporting wild turkey habitat in South Carolina. Water Systems provides annual charitable support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Severn Trent Services: Severn Trent Services provides contract operations, maintenance, and laboratory services for municipal water and wastewater utilities across the U.S., closely mirroring Water Systems' integrated service model and serving the same municipal customer segment.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Veolia is the largest global contract operator of municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment plants, directly competing for the same municipal outsourced O&M RFPs that Water Systems pursues. Both serve as single-source providers of operations, maintenance, and compliance support.
• Inframark: Inframark is a contract operator for municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities across multiple U.S. states, offering the same vertically integrated O&M, maintenance, and compliance services that Water Systems provides in South Carolina. It is the closest peer in business model and customer type.
• Corix Utilities: Corix Utilities operates and maintains water, wastewater, and energy infrastructure for municipalities and developers across North America, offering a similar contract O&M business model to Water Systems with comparable single-source service integration.

Broad incumbents

• American Water: American Water is the largest U.S. investor-owned water and wastewater utility, with a regulated services and contract operations division that competes for municipal O&M contracts. While primarily a regulated utility, its contract services arm overlaps with Water Systems' municipal offering at a national scale.
• Jacobs Solutions: Jacobs (formerly CH2M Hill) operates one of the largest water infrastructure services practices globally, providing plant operations, engineering, and program management to municipal and industrial water clients. It competes for large-scale O&M contracts overlapping with Water Systems' addressable market.
• Black & Veatch: Black & Veatch provides water and wastewater engineering, construction, and operations services to municipalities and utilities worldwide. Its Essential Water Services group is a direct competitor for municipal O&M contracts at scale beyond Water Systems' regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-systems-inc-of-west-columbia

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Water Systems