Waterleau Group

Local expertise, backed by global water leadership

Krofta is part of the Waterleau Group, an international water technology group delivering advanced solutions for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment worldwide. Through this group structure, Krofta combines its U.S. heritage and solids separation expertise with the global engineering depth, biological water treatment leadership, and financial innovation of Waterleau.

Together, the group enables U.S. clients to address increasingly complex wastewater challenges—ranging from stricter discharge limits and energy efficiency requirements to water reuse, decarbonization, and long-term cost optimization.

Waterleau: global expertise in biological wastewater treatment

Waterleau is internationally recognized for its leadership in anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment, serving industrial and municipal clients across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

The group is consistently acknowledged by Global Water Intelligence as one of the Top 10 global players in anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment, reflecting both the scale of its installed base and the depth of its technical expertise.

Market leadership in anaerobic treatment

Waterleau is a global market leader in anaerobic wastewater treatment, with:

500+ anaerobic reactor references worldwide
Deep specialization in the potato, dairy, and beverage industries
Active installations serving all top-10 global brewing groups
Proven performance for high-strength industrial effluents, energy recovery, and footprint minimization

The Waterleau BIOTIM® anaerobic expertise enables industrial clients to convert wastewater into renewable energy, reduce sludge production, and significantly lower operating costs while meeting stringent environmental standards.

Integrated aerobic and advanced treatment solutions

Beyond BIOTIM® anaerobic treatment, Waterleau delivers a full portfolio of LUCAS® aerobic and advanced biological processes, designed for:

Industrial polishing and nutrient removal
Municipal wastewater treatment at scale
Compact, high-performance plant designs
Energy- and chemical-efficient operation

By integrating BIOTIM® anaerobic and LUCAS® aerobic treatment into a single, optimized treatment train, Waterleau achieves best-in-class Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) across the full lifecycle of a plant.

Best TCO, backed by 175 years of combined O&M experience

Technology alone does not guarantee performance. What differentiates the Waterleau Group is the combination of advanced process design with 175 years of combined operations & maintenance (O&M) experience across the group.

This operational DNA ensures:

Robust, operator-friendly plant designs
Stable performance under variable loads and flows
Reduced lifecycle costs
Long-term reliability for both industrial and municipal clients

For U.S. customers, this translates into lower risk, predictable performance, and long-term value creation.

Leading digital transformation in the water industry

The Waterleau Group is at the forefront of digital water transformation, applying advanced monitoring, automation, and data-driven optimization to wastewater treatment systems with SmartLab®, Waterleau's digital water platform

SmartLab® Digital Water:

Real-time process control and optimization
Energy and chemical consumption reduction
Predictive maintenance and asset management
Remote monitoring and performance benchmarking

By embedding digital intelligence into treatment plants, Waterleau enables operators to move from reactive operation to data-driven, performance-based management.

Innovative financing: capex-free and off-balance solutions

In addition to technology and operations, Waterleau is pioneering innovative financing models for industrial and public-sector clients.

WIFV®, the Waterleau International Finance Vehicle offers

Off-balance, capex-free solutions
Long-term PPP and performance-based contracts
Water-as-a-Service and availability-based models
Tailored financing for industrial wastewater projects

These WIFV® solutions are already deployed across Europe and are increasingly available for U.S. industrial and municipal clients, enabling wastewater infrastructure upgrades without upfront capital expenditure.

A strong group foundation: part of Group Machiels

Waterleau, Krofta, and Socrematic (air pollution abatement) are all part of Group Machiels, a long-standing industrial group with activities spanning water, environment, energy, and sustainable infrastructure.

This group foundation provides:

Long-term financial stability
Strategic investment capacity
A culture of industrial execution and innovation

For clients, it means working with partners that are built for long-term collaboration, not short-term projects.

A valuable partner for U.S. industrial and municipal clients

Through Krofta’s U.S. presence and the Waterleau Group’s global expertise, American industrial and municipal clients gain access to:

World-class anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment
Proven solutions for food, beverage, and industrial sectors
Best-in-class TCO and lifecycle performance
Digital transformation capabilities
Innovative, capex-free financing models

Krofta remains the primary U.S. interface and execution partner, strengthened by the global expertise, references, and innovation capacity of the Waterleau Group.

Explore Waterleau's global expertise

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