Water Efficiency Pitch

Water Efficiency Pitch

Phoenix-based Complete Water Systems has a recent blog post that aims to pitch water efficiency to homeowners. The team's new guide breaks down how the latest tech is transforming residential efficiency and how new RO systems featuring 1:1 ratio membranes are saving 3-4 gallons per gallon produced (outperforming traditional units). They pitch their own water softeners as able to cut water and salt usage by up to 70%, and talk about how salt-free conditioners are hitting the market at thousands less than competitors' prices. With EPA data showing household leaks wasting 10,000 gallons annually, they're also pushing smart leak detection systems as a key upsell. One final detail: they say tankless water heaters are the last piece to improve efficiency by eliminating standby energy waste.

Crisis to Opportunity

Georgia's water treatment market got an unexpected uptick when BioLab's Conyers facility erupted in flames on October 1. The blast, which released chlorine-heavy smoke across Atlanta's suburbs, is shaping up to be a case of crisis-driven demand. Local dealers report surging inquiries about whole-house filtration systems and RO units, especially in Conyers and surrounding counties. Some players are leveraging the moment by offering free water quality tests and emergency installation slots, while others are bundling air purifiers with water systems. The piece talks about Waterdrop's offerings and calls out how the real money's in premium installations, with concerned homeowners showing less price sensitivity than usual.

High Recovery RO Systems

Puretec Industrial Water wrote a recent article on pros and cons of high recovery RO systems. The team writes about how high recovery reverse osmosis systems are making their mark in the industry and boast an impressive 95% recovery rate (compared to traditional systems' 75%). While these advanced systems can significantly reduce water costs and boost sustainability efforts, they come with notable trade-offs. The upfront investment is steeper, and operations require more expertise due to increased risks of membrane fouling and higher energy demands. The bottom line? If operating in water-scarce regions or running water-intensive operations, the long-term savings could justify the investment, but success comes down to having the right expertise and maintenance in place.

Hydroviv: DTC Filtration Startup

“Water treatment: it’s clean, safe, and particularly lucrative.” That’s one of the final lines Forbes' latest article on Hydroviv, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) water filtration startup that made an appearance on Shark Tank back in 2019. The $2B+ water treatment market has seen more and more DTC players enter the space, with Hydroviv standing out among them. Born from the 2015 Flint crisis, the company has evolved from custom point-of-use lead filters to the growing shower filtration space—a segment that's catching fire thanks to growing consumer anxiety. These DTC upstarts are finding success by carving out profitable niches and targeting specific pain points, as shown by Hydroviv's new shower filters.

What else is happening:

• Solventum, a spinoff from 3M, is exploring the sale of their filtration unit that makes products for commercial and residential water

• Filtration + Separation releases their Q3 2024 review of mergers and acquisitions in the industry

• In a post that seems to refresh every few months, Architectural Digest releases their review on water softener costs

• EPA deploys a second mobile water lab in North Carolina in response to Hurricane Helene

• Pristine Water Softeners writes about getting a home water analysis done to ensure safe drinking water