Aqua Membranes, an innovator in reverse osmosis (RO) element technology, has secured strong international investor backing and been named a qualified team in the prestigious XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition. With its patented Printed Spacer Technology®, the company is setting new standards for sustainable desalination and industrial water treatment by reducing energy consumption, increasing throughput, and extending membrane life.

Global investors back breakthrough RO technology

Aqua Membranes’ oversubscribed Series B funding round has attracted international investors including Burnt Island Ventures, Helios Climate Ventures, Osmoflo/Kanadevia Group, MUUS & Company, Micron Technologies, and SQN Venture Partners. New participants such as Cycle H2O and Nova Capital have also joined the round, fuelling further growth and global expansion.

Recognition from XPRIZE

The company’s innovative approach to RO technology has earned it a place among 143 qualified teams in the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, a global challenge focused on reimagining desalination for sustainable water access worldwide. This recognition underscores Aqua Membranes’ role as a leading contributor to the development of efficient, scalable water treatment technologies.

“Our inclusion in the XPRIZE competition is an exciting milestone that validates the potential of our technology. With the backing of visionary investors, we are advancing the boundaries of what Printed Spacer Technology® can achieve in addressing water scarcity worldwide.”
Craig Beckman, Chief Executive Officer, Aqua Membranes

A greener future for water treatment

By directly printing the feed channel spacer onto the membrane surface, Aqua Membranes removes the need for traditional mesh, revolutionising RO element performance. The result is lower energy use, improved water recovery, and enhanced durability — delivering measurable sustainability and cost benefits for utilities and industries alike.

As the company continues to expand, it remains focused on scaling its proprietary technology to help communities and businesses address water scarcity and adapt to climate challenges through innovative, energy-efficient solutions.

Golden State Water Company (GSWC), which serves more than one million customers across California, has implemented AMS’s MetalGuard™ online analyser to strengthen its compliance and operational efficiency in managing selenium levels in groundwater.

The utility faced challenges with fluctuating selenium concentrations that periodically exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). By integrating continuous, real-time monitoring, GSWC now has immediate visibility into water quality conditions, allowing operators to make timely adjustments to treatment processes without waiting for delayed laboratory results.

The MetalGuard analyser provides real-time data that enables operational flexibility between ion exchange and blending methods based on current water conditions. This proactive approach improves efficiency, reduces waste disposal costs, and enhances cost control while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards for safe drinking water.

GSWC’s experience demonstrates how real-time analytics can empower utilities to maintain regulatory compliance and optimise treatment performance while managing variable heavy metal concentrations.

The Water Council, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing freshwater technology and water stewardship, has strengthened its international reach through new collaboration agreements with water technology clusters in France and Spain.

The memoranda of action (MOA) were signed in late September during and ahead of WEFTEC in Chicago, the world’s largest conference for water and wastewater professionals. The agreements aim to promote collaboration and exchange of ideas, create access to new markets for members, and support global water innovation.

Executive Director Karen Frost represented The Water Council in signing an MOA with Eric Servat on behalf of French clusters Aqua-Valley and Aquanova, jointly known as Pôles EAU. The partnership commits the organisations to promote each other’s initiatives, facilitate business connections, and act as strategic resources for companies expanding into the U.S. and French markets. The new MOA builds upon a previous collaboration established in 2014.

The signing took place on 26 September at the French American Chamber of Commerce’s “Water4Future: The Great Lakes Example” event in Chicago, which convened students, educators, UNESCO representatives, diplomats and economic development specialists to discuss sustainable water solutions.

“If we’ve learned anything the last few years, it’s that water struggles can happen anywhere at any time. That’s why it’s vital for The Water Council to work with clusters around the world in pursuit of a common goal: advancing water technology to solve global water challenges.”
Karen Frost, Executive Director, The Water Council

Three days later, on 29 September, Frost also renewed a longstanding MOA with Xavier Amores Bravo, Director of the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP) in Spain. The partnership, first formed in 2018, has already produced significant outcomes through virtual and in-person business exchanges between U.S. and Catalan companies.

A joint venture between Catalan firm SIGMADAF and Wisconsin-based Clearwater Industries emerged from this collaboration, resulting in the installation of four wastewater treatment systems in the U.S., with more expected this year. Additionally, Catalan company BGEO recently joined The Water Council to introduce its open-source digital twin solutions for water networks and urban infrastructure to the U.S. market.

“We treasure our relationship with the Catalan Water Partnership, one of our long-standing international collaborators, and we are excited to deepen our relationship with Aqua-Valley and Aquanova in France,” Frost added.

Membrion, a ceramic desalination membrane innovator, has raised $20 million in Series B1 funding to accelerate commercial-scale deployment of sustainable wastewater treatment technologies. The round was anchored by Pangaea Ventures, PureTerra Ventures, Ecolab Inc., and W. L. Gore & Associates, with participation from The Lewis Family Office and existing investors including Safar Partners, Lam Research, Indico Ventures and Giantleap Capital.

This latest investment brings Membrion’s total funding to $43 million since inception, fuelling rapid growth as the company transforms industrial wastewater into a reusable resource. Its flexible ceramic membrane systems enable the reclamation and reuse of up to 98% of industrial wastewater, helping customers lower water consumption, reduce chemical waste and achieve regulatory compliance.

“I’m thrilled to welcome a group of new investors who share our conviction that water circularity and resource reclamation are essential to building a better world. Their commitment accelerates our momentum as we continue to deploy more full-scale industrial installations that are already saving customers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually,”
Greg Newbloom, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Membrion

Pangaea Ventures Partner Sarah Applebaum said the company has reached an exciting inflection point as demand for resource-efficient technologies grows. “With each deployment, Membrion reduces water consumption, chemical waste and energy use while delivering tangible ROI for their customers,” she said.

Ecolab’s Vice President and General Manager for Sustainable Growth Solutions, Calvin Emanuel, added: “As a global leader in water, we are committed to accelerating a circular approach to industrial water management. We are proud to support Membrion’s innovation and the potential of their ceramic desalination membranes to recover and reuse water, reduce waste and protect vital resources for future generations.”

Existing investor PureTerra Ventures reaffirmed its support, citing Membrion’s growing commercial traction and strong technical progress. W. L. Gore & Associates also joined the round, with Venture Fund Leader Ed Rubin noting that Membrion’s mission aligns closely with Gore’s focus on material science innovation for societal benefit.

Membrion’s solutions are being adopted across multiple industries for their flexibility and ease of integration into existing facilities. Once installed, the systems expand operational capacity, improve process efficiency, and enable water reuse that supports long-term sustainability goals.

Arq, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQ), a producer of activated carbon and other environmentally efficient carbon products, has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, demonstrating continued leadership in environmental technology, strong financial performance and progress across environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities.

Chief Executive Officer Bob Rasmus said the year marked a major transformation for the business, combining growth with purpose. “Our 2024 Sustainability Report showcases a transformational year for Arq, where we successfully delivered exceptional financial results while staying true to our mission of enabling a cleaner and safer planet,” he said. “As we advance toward full nameplate granular activated carbon (GAC) production, we remain committed to transparency, innovation and sustainable value creation.”

Key 2024 highlights

Environmental leadership

• Mechanical completion and commissioning of the Red River facility, designed to address PFAS contamination challenges.
• Continued coal waste transformation at the Corbin facility, turning environmental liabilities into useful products.
• Energy-efficiency gains with surplus electricity generation from Red River operations.
• Maintained North America’s only vertically integrated activated carbon supply chain, reducing emissions through domestic production.

Social responsibility

• Zero-fatality safety record across all facilities.
• 202 employees supported through wellness and professional development programmes.
• Expanded community outreach and educational partnerships.

Governance and transparency

• Enhanced Board oversight of ESG through the Nominating and Governance Committee.
• 100% completion rate for ethics and compliance training.
• Broadened stakeholder and investor engagement.
• Collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on PFAS regulation and best practice.

Innovation and technology

• Over 140 patents and applications in activated carbon and related technologies.
• Comprehensive R&D programme with testing across more than 100 potential applications.
• Quality excellence with 6,000+ automation points and over 30 quality checks per production batch.

Strategic outlook

The report highlights the growing demand for granular activated carbon solutions following new US EPA PFAS drinking-water standards, which lower limits to 4 parts per trillion by 2030. Arq projects a potential 370-million-pound supply gap, positioning the company for sustained growth across municipal water treatment, industrial air purification and renewable natural-gas markets.

“ESG excellence is integral to our identity as an environmental technology company. Every product we manufacture and every decision we make is guided by our commitment to enabling a cleaner and safer planet while creating sustainable value for our employees, customers, communities and shareholders.”
Bob Rasmus, Chief Executive Officer, Arq

The full 2024 Sustainability Report, including detailed metrics and future commitments, is available to download from Arq’s Sustainability page.

In her most recent roles, Lochead served as Chief Marketing Officer for several high-growth software firms specialising in artificial intelligence (AI), data, and cybersecurity. She is recognised for her ability to position transformative technologies for greater market visibility and adoption.

“AI is transforming how infrastructure is designed, built, and operated. Appointing Cate as CMO strengthens our leadership at this pivotal moment; her experience will help infrastructure professionals connect AI innovation to measurable outcomes—where efficiency, quality, and reliability matter most.”
Nicholas Cumins, Chief Executive Officer, Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems, listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol BSY, provides infrastructure engineering software used by professionals across the globe to design, build, and operate critical assets. The company continues to expand its focus on AI-driven solutions for digital engineering, modelling, and data management.

Quick Reference Links

• Bentley Systems official website
• Bentley Systems on LinkedIn

California faces growing pressure on its water resources due to climate change and population growth. The Syphon Reservoir expansion is a step towards safeguarding sustainable supplies and offers a model for other public agencies facing similar challenges.

IRWD pioneered recycled water infrastructure with the introduction of the globally recognised “purple pipe” system. The expansion of Syphon Reservoir builds on this legacy, enabling more recycled water to be stored and reused for irrigation and other non-drinking purposes, thereby reducing demand on potable supplies.

COWI’s involvement underlines its growing role in shaping Southern California’s water infrastructure. Previous projects include Anderson Dam Phase 1, Lafayette and Briones Reservoirs, Chabot Dam, Folsom Dam, San Vicente Dam, Lake Mathews, Nacimiento Lake, Lake Calavera, and Gene Wash and Copper Basin dams.

Quick Reference Links

• COWI
• Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD)