Xylem

What is it?

A $4.7 billion-a-year NYSE-listed water equipment and analytics company.

What has it done?

Xylem moved the needle in the water technology sector in 2017 as it continued its acquisition spree to become an outright leader in the rapidly growing market for smart water solutions. The purchase of pipeline diagnostics specialist Pure Technologies rounded out its suite of solutions for non-revenue water, while it delved into the increasingly critical area of stormwater and sewer analytics by buying EmNet. Xylem’s digital strategy was complemented by numerous cutting-edge innovations centred around energy management.

What makes it special?

The deals Xylem undertook in 2017 perfectly demonstrate the company’s unparalleled vision to offer end-to-end solutions for the digital utility of the 21st century. The icing on the cake will be the imminent merging of the new acquisitions with its existing software and analytics business to form an Advanced Infrastructure Solutions business unit.

Xylem’s innovative streak in water conveyance infrastructure also continued unabated last year, as it unveiled the first major installation of its revolutionary Flygt Concertor intelligent wastewater pumping system in Washington, DC. 2017 also saw the launch of Xylem’s smart non-clogging Godwin dewatering pump, which can be monitored and controlled from any device anywhere in the world – another industry first.

Xylem expanded the horizons for potable reuse last year with the installation of the world’s first large-scale UV/chlorine process to treat wastewater to drinking water standards at the Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant in Los Angeles. The system stacked up very favourably against traditional technologies for advanced treatment, providing a vital new tool for communities facing the toughest water resourcing challenges.

LG Water Solutions

What is it?

LG Water Solutions, part of LG Chem, manufactures the full line of NanoH2O seawater, brackish water and residential reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.

What has it done?

In 2017, LG Water Solutions achieved world domination, emerging as the leading supplier of SWRO membranes to large-scale desalination plants currently under construction. Furthermore, the company won more than 20 large SWRO membrane replacement contracts at desalination plants including Maspalomas in Spain, Ashkelon in Israel and Barka in Oman.

What makes it special?

In 2017, LG Water Solutions became the new giant-killer of the large-scale SWRO membrane market, popping up as the sole supplier to Egypt’s two largest desalination plants at Galalah and East Port Said. It now has a market-leading 850,000m³/d of membrane capacity under contract or in the pipeline, single-handedly loosening the iron grip of the Dow/Hydranautics/Toray triumvirate in large-scale SWRO.

Coupled with its high-profile success in the SWRO market, LG Water Solutions is also making significant advances in the under-the-radar battle for brackish water RO supremacy, where it is increasingly replacing competitors’ products with its superior high-flux, high-salt rejection membranes. Meanwhile, sales of its residential RO membranes are growing rapidly in the key markets of China, India and the Middle East.

Incorporated with innovative nano-technology, the first technical innovation since the thin film composite membrane was developed almost 30 years ago, LG Water Solutions’ membranes have taken RO performance to the next level, boasting industry leading 99.85% salt rejections. By adding a third production line to its Korean plant in 2019, the company is perfectly poised for significant expansion in the coming years.