History
Proof of Concept
WaterTectonics began in 1989 in the Bothell, WA home of Founder, Jim Mothersbaugh. Originally conceived as a research and design firm, Jim operated the company on the side and started to develop early prototypes of electrically-driven water treatment systems. Jim saw potential in the process (generally referred to as electrocoagulation) and began to structure research projects and build a client base that would allow him to test the technology and his ideas about it at full-scale.
In 1999, amid growing concerns of urban development and stormwater runoff during construction activities, the Washington State Department of Ecology began to take in interest in technologies capable of addressing the problems of stormwater runoff. Armed with a decade of research and development work, Jim saw this new interest as an opportunity to incorporate WaterTectonics formally and see if the technology had as much potential as he thought.
With the support of the Department of Ecology, WaterTectonics secured its first project on the south shore of Lake Washington in Renton, Washington. The project involved demolition and remediation of an old power plant and new construction of mixed-use commercial and residential development. Because of the proximity to Lake Washington and the large footprint of the project, regulators required that the contractor collect and treat all of the stormwater runoff from the construction area before allowing it to be discharged into nearby Lake Washington. The project lasted three years for WaterTectonics and was the company’s first successful, large-scale, operating installation.
Early Development
The company continued to grow organically over the next few years, slowly and quietly adding to its list of successful projects and continuing to refine and improve its electrocoagulation technology. With growing interest and demand from the construction sector for more water treatment solutions, WaterTectonics increased the flowrate capabilities of its existing electrocoagulation technology and also began work on new water treatment products. What started as a single-product company targeting a small niche market was growing into a multi-product company capable of pursuing turnkey water treatment opportunities in a variety of industrial applications.
In early 2007, WaterTectonics’ construction and industrial business had grown significantly, and the company was gearing up for its third office move to accommodate its growing staff and manufacturing needs. The business was marching forward successfully, but company executives saw the construction market beginning to decline and recognized that they needed to once again diversify the WaterTectonics name. This time, the company made a strong push and devoted 90% of its time and resources to pursuing the energy market, specifically the oil and gas industry.
The company’s efforts were rewarded six months later with successful pilot projects with oil & gas well operators and then eventually with full-scale projects. After only three years of on-site industry experience, WaterTectonics’ technology was recognized as a best-in-class technology for the oil & gas industry. This success drew interest from international oil & gas service firms and, ultimately, WaterTectonics signed a global licensing agreement with Halliburton Energy in April of 2010.
WaterTectonics Today
Today, WaterTectonics is located in Everett, Washington and has a staff of 60+. Now recognized as a thought leader in the water treatment space, WaterTectonics has managed to continue growing each segment of its business in the construction, industrial, energy, and marine sectors and is still actively involved in research and development work to further grow its business.
WaterTectonics would like to thank each and every friend, colleague, family member, and company that supported them during the “growing up” years. We sincerely appreciate your business and support and look forward to giving back to our clients and communities for years to come.
