Aqualia, the fourth largest water company in Europe by population served and ninth largest in the world, has acquired a controlling stake in a Houston-area water management company, marking its entry into the United States market.
Aqualia announced that it acquired a controlling stake in Municipal District Services LLC (MDS), which manages the end-to-end water cycle for more than 364,000 people on the outskirts of Houston. MDS has approximately 140 service agreements with municipal utility districts.
MDS is the second-largest provider of water, wastewater and stormwater services in the Houston area for municipal utility districts.
Aqualia says that, with this acquisition, it will take on development of the business with an aim of becoming one of the leading operators in the southern U.S.
The acquisition is part of Aqualia’s strategy for international growth. The company currently serves 43.7 million users in 18 countries. In the 2022 financial year, the company had a turnover of US$1.4 billion and maintained a business portfolio of more than US$18 billion.
