The quality of a city’s wastewater treatment system is only as good as its equipment. City managers and local government officials should only use reliable suppliers for wastewater treatment equipment. While many suppliers operate domestically, only a handful are suitable for municipal-scale contracts. Decision-makers should carefully vet top-rated suppliers to determine which ones align most with their needs.
7 Reliable Suppliers for Wastewater Treatment Equipment
SSI Aeration Inc., Aquatech, Xylem, Ecolab, Complete Water Solutions, Spiral Water Technologies Inc. and SAMCO Technologies are the most reliable wastewater treatment equipment suppliers in the country. Discover what makes these equipment providers the top in their industry.
- SSI Aeration Inc.
As a full-service technical partner and manufacturer with global capabilities, SSI Aeration Inc. is among the most reliable wastewater treatment equipment suppliers. Over its 25 years in the industry, it has installed 7,000 systems for 300 million people in 85 countries. Each installation meets or exceeds industry standards for efficiency, performance quality and lifespan.
SSI Aeration Inc. offers a moving bed bioreactor, a retrievable grid wastewater treatment system, an integrated fixed film activated sludge system and a containerized wastewater treatment system. Of all its offerings, its fine bubble diffuser is one of its most popular products.
The company demonstrated its reliability in a project in Henderson, Kentucky. It installed the SSI Aeration AFC coarse cap diffusers in two 450,000-gallon sludge-holding basins. Henderson operations manager Jerry Basham states, “…we have never had a problem with [the equipment]. We also see adequate mixing and desired performance. The basins are inspected periodically and we have not had to replace any of the modules to date.”
In addition to supplying superior products, the company has impressive accreditations and certifications. It is a member of the Water Environment Federation, accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board and ISO 9001:2015-certified. Its products are 100% made in the United States and compliant with the Build America Buy America Act.
- Aquatech
Aquatech has been a leading global water and process technology solution provider for nearly half a century. Its team of 700 experts has helped install 2,000 installations worldwide. Collectively, they treat 1.6 billion gallons of water daily.
Aquatech supplies zero liquid discharge, desalination, mineral recovery, contaminant removal and wastewater treatment. Unlike other providers, it also rents mobile stations. This flexible solution can help cities deal with demand surges or unexpected downtime. Its product lineup includes pretreatment, membrane systems, demineralization and biological treatment.
Its submerged membrane bioreactor solution leverages ultrafiltration and a proprietary diffuser system to prevent bacterial growth and remove contaminants. One case study achieved a 99.999% bacterial reduction and a nephelometric turbidity unit value well under the regulatory limit. This equipment is precise and efficient, treating 10,000 gallons per day.
- Xylem
Over 100 years, Xylem has been awarded 8,300 patents and trademarks, which has helped it achieve approximately $8.6 billion in revenue. To date, it employs 23,000 well-trained professionals across 150 countries. It serves utility, municipal, residential, commercial and industrial markets worldwide.
Xylem’s recent acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies — another leading provider of wastewater treatment solutions — has elevated its expertise and product offerings. Its extensive portfolio includes filtration, biosolids management, disinfection, sludge collection, aeration and control equipment.
One case study that highlights Xylem’s reliability is its South Bend project. The city had 1 to 2 billion gallons of annual sewer overflow. The company’s control system used sensors to monitor water level and flow, reducing combined sewer overflow by 80% — even in years with increased rainfall. It saved the city $1.5 million in operations and maintenance costs annually.
- Ecolab
Ecolab is a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions. Its technologies have helped save over 829 billion gallons of water and delivered $4.5 billion in total value. By 2030, it hopes to conserve 300 billion gallons of water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million metric tons annually.
During a project for NXP Semiconductor, Ecolab’s chemical treatment program reduced annual discharge flow and municipal water consumption by 8.5 million and 7.2 million gallons, respectively. In addition to conserving resources, the system optimized operation, saving the fabrication plant $114,865 per year.
Ecolab has held 11,300 active patents since 2000. Its advanced technologies include aerobic biological wastewater treatment equipment, inventory automation, core-shell polymer technology, heavy metal removal and a polymer activation system.
- Complete Water Solutions
Complete Water Solutions designs, sells, installs and services water treatment solutions. While its in-person services are primarily located in the Midwest, it supplies components and services to businesses worldwide.
The company offers in-person training to ensure professionals get the most out of their newly installed systems. The Complete Water Solutions team is well-trained and has over 40 years of combined experience.
Complete Water Solutions has partnered with major manufacturers to supply top-of-the-line products, including GE, Siemens, DOW, Veolia, TonkaFlo and Osmonics. Its offerings include reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, deionizers and ultraviolet water treatment.
Complete Water Solutions helped Seneca Foods Corporation run hard city water, reducing soft water demand by 29% and salt use by 10% that year. It also reduced wastewater by 36.4% and lowered chlorides in wastewater flow by 10,213 parts per million yearly, saving thousands.
- Spiral Water Technologies Inc.
For over a decade, Spiral Water Technologies Inc. has provided turnkey water and wastewater treatment equipment nationwide. Its global presence allows it to provide enterprise-level product variety without sacrificing local service quality.
Since its founding in 2012, it has been awarded three patents covering 14 countries. Its more notable breakthrough technologies include automatic, self-cleaning filtration products, which are ideal for high solid separation and concentration. They can be used as prefilters, primary filters or reclamation systems.
Unlike other automatic self-cleaning filters — which can only handle high solids loading below 500 ppm, making them insufficient for large-scale operations — this company’s model can process bulk solids removal up to 15,000 milligrams per liter of total suspended solids, offering ongoing 15 to 1500 micron filtration.
Spiral Water Technologies Inc. deployed this technology for a plant in Stockton, California, that was losing 13% of its product during processing. The Model 810 filter reduced product loss to 1.7% per 3,000-gallon batch. Moreover, due to filtration improvements, concentrated solids — previously considered waste — became a sellable asset.
The company is ISO 17025 accredited, meaning its testing and calibration laboratories operate impartially and competently. This accreditation demonstrates its reliability as a wastewater treatment equipment provider.
- SAMCO Technologies
Since the 1950s, SAMCO Technologies has built up its services and offerings. Today, it is among the country’s leading municipal wastewater treatment companies. Its partners and clients include Exxon, Google, General Mills, Honeywell, Coca-Cola, Xerox, Johnson & Johnson and DOW.
The company supplies a state-of-the-art zero-liquid discharge solution that crystallizes and filters out impurities, pulling out up to 80% of the water. Its other advanced options include reverse osmosis nanofiltration and biological filtration. Like other top-rated companies on this list, this company provides equipment rentals.
SAMCO Technologies deployed ultrafiltration for a North American steel mill. The region’s water costs were $5 per 1,000 gallons — well above the national average — and production was causing high metal and phosphate contamination levels.
SAMCO’s ultrafiltration product eliminated 99.9% iron, 99.84% aluminum and 95% manganese. It handled the steel mill’s monthly capacity of 27 million gallons, accommodating variable flows of 400 to 1,000 gallons per minute. In addition to these gains, the system only occupied 33% of the space of the previous system.
What Factors Make These Equipment Suppliers Reliable?
The easiest identifier of reliability is a supplier’s years in the business. While an earlier founding date does not necessarily mean one is more dependable than the others, it indicates a long history of quality and service consistency.
Customer support availability is another factor. Even one broken component can be an emergency and lead to overflow or unexpected downtime. Sanitary sewer overflow can cause property damage, threaten public health and introduce contaminated water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 23,000 to 75,000 instances of sanitary sewer overflow occur annually, making mitigation vital. Having service technicians available around the clock can help in times of crisis.
System design is important, too. Expert engineers should be able to create custom solutions that align with location, city size and service needs.
Company Name | Years in Business | Customer Support | System Type |
SSI | Around 30 | 24/7 customer support | Custom, turnkey and advanced options |
AquaTech | Nearly 50 | Support during business hours | Custom, turnkey and mobile options |
Xylem | Almost 15 | Support during business hours | Custom, turnkey and advanced options |
Ecolab | Over 100 | 24/7 emergency support | Custom and turnkey options |
Complete Water Solutions | Over 10 | 24/7 customer support | Custom, turnkey and emergency options |
Spiral Water Technologies | Nearly 15 | Support during business hours | Custom, turnkey and advanced options |
Samco Technologies | Around 75 | Support during business hours | Custom, turnkey and advanced options |
Comparing Wastewater Treatment Systems and Processes
For many cities, upgrades to their wastewater treatment plants are long overdue. According to the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure from the American Society of Civil Engineers, most treatment plants are designed to have a 40- to 50-year lifespan on average. Despite this fairly long lifespan, replacement and renewal rates for large capital projects have decreased as the average number of system failures has increased, signaling aging infrastructure.
Fortunately, there are multiple options for entities or leaders looking for replacement or renewal.
Chemical Treatment
Chemical treatment uses various chemicals and processes to neutralize or remove contaminants. It is ideal for treating wastewater that contains toxins like heavy metals, dyes, chlorinated solvents or pharmaceuticals.
Reverse Osmosis System
A reverse osmosis system generates potable water by eliminating impurities and pollutants via semipermeable membranes. The water is pressurized and then forced through the membrane, trapping contaminants.
Containerized RO System
A containerized RO operates out of a shipping container. This turnkey equipment combines pretreatment, controllers, membranes, pumps and posttreatment. While the standardized metal housing makes it portable, it can be deployed as a mobile or permanent solution.
Anaerobic Treatment System
An anaerobic treatment system is ideal for managing water with high concentrations of biodegradable organic matter. It leverages anaerobic microbes to degrade organic contaminants. The microorganisms can function without the presence of oxygen.
Fine air bubbles decrease particle density in dissolved air flotation, separating solids from liquid. They float instead of sinking, allowing them to be skimmed off the surface and processed down the line.
What Are Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes?
Most cities lack modern wastewater treatment processes. As of 2022, just 37.5% of the country’s more than 17,500 publicly owned treatment works had advanced equipment. Just a fraction of facilities are upgraded annually, so this number has remained relatively stable over the years.
The most reliable wastewater treatment equipment suppliers will offer advanced solutions for various needs. These products go beyond standard primary and secondary processes to remove residual pollutants and trace contaminants, ensuring cleanliness.
For instance, they may provide fine bubble disc diffusers — equipment that forces air bubbles into pipes to feed the microorganisms in the water processing tanks. The best models maximize diffuser density in high-efficiency applications.
With water oxidation, oxidizing gas is injected into wastewater as ultrafine nanobubbles, removing organic dissolved minerals and organic materials. When the air meets the contaminants, decomposition begins. This process can be done through mechanical or biological means.
Industrial ultrafiltration products are also excellent choices. They use semipermeable membranes to remove impurities, pathogens and suspended solids. Like an RO system, the wastewater is pressurized and forced through the membrane, allowing only clean water through. Nanofiltration and microfiltration are similar. Each one is used for different applications.
Pick a Reliable Wastewater Treatment Equipment Supplier
Wastewater collection and treatment are vital to public health, especially in densely populated urban areas. Multiple solutions are available once sewers carry sewage and gray water to a wastewater treatment facility.
Decision-makers should carefully consider which one aligns with their location and needs. Once they have settled on one, they must choose between the most reliable suppliers for wastewater treatment equipment. Product quality is vital for performance and longevity.