Wastewater treatment and compliance services provider WPL has been acquired by specialist services company Marlowe for an enterprise value of £10 million.
Marlowe is the UK leader in specialist services that ensure safety and regulatory compliance for its clients. The group brings together other well-established and respected companies including WCS Services, Guardian Water, B&V Chemicals, Clearwater and Atana.
WPL, based in Waterlooville, UK, will join the Environmental Engineering Division that forms part of Marlowe’s grouping of water and air industry companies with collective annual sales in excess of £100 million and over 1,200 employees.
Photo: WPL Hybrid-SAF™ above ariel view Sherborne
Alex Dacre, chief executive of Marlowe, said:
“The acquisition of WPL marks another significant step in the development of our strategy for water and air compliance services.
“Following the acquisitions of Suez Water Conditioning Services in 2018 and Clearwater Technology in 2019, alongside a number of bolt-on acquisitions and strong organic growth, our water and air compliance business now has the broadest service capabilities and coverage in the UK. We look forward to the contribution that WPL will make to our continued growth in this market.”
WPL’s leadership team, Gareth Jones, Andrew Baird and Simon Kimber, will continue to play key roles within the new organisation structure as senior managers, reporting to Tim Gaston, managing director of the Environmental Engineering Division.
Photo: Tim Gaston
Tim Gaston said:
“WPL’s biological treatment technology and expertise are very much part of the decision to acquire WPL and grow our engineering division. Marlowe can now offer clients the complete range of engineered clean water and wastewater solutions – from influent to effluent and including reuse and recycling – under one roof.”
Gareth Jones added:
“Integration into a larger organisation with the resources and skills to promote growth, especially in commercial and industrial markets, promises to be a huge next step. It is a testament to the professionalism of our talented staff and the growth we have achieved to date that we have now attracted this attention and investment from Marlow plc.
“Our customers can be assured that we will continue to work closely with them to deliver adaptable wastewater solutions to meet demanding environmental discharge standards in the UK and globally.”
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.