The company behind MDS Aqualia, which serves more than 450,000 Texans, earns a top global nomination as the state faces one of its most serious water challenges in decades.
In a year when Texas reservoirs have fallen to some of their lowest recorded levels and state water planners are issuing increasingly urgent warnings about long-term supply, one of the companies managing water services for hundreds of thousands of Texas families has just been named among the five best water companies in the world.
Aqualia, the global water management company that operates MDS Aqualia in greater Houston and communities throughout Texas, is a finalist for Water Company of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2026 widely regarded as the most prestigious recognition in the international water industry and known informally as the Oscars of Water. The awards, organized by the Global Water Intelligence platform, will be presented on May 19 in Madrid as part of the Global Water Summit 2026.
MDS Aqualia, formed through Aqualia’s acquisition of a majority stake in Municipal District Services in 2024, is one of the largest water and wastewater service providers in Texas. It manages 167 service agreements and provides water, wastewater, and stormwater services to more than 450,000 people across the state, primarily in communities in and around the Houston metro area where residential growth has consistently outpaced existing infrastructure.
For Texans, having a world-class water operator embedded in communities across the state is not an abstract advantage. It is the difference between a system that holds and one that breaks under pressure.
A YEAR OF GLOBAL MILESTONES
The nomination for Water Company of the Year recognizes a year of notable milestones for Aqualia. The company entered the Japanese market, one of the most technically demanding in the world, and consolidated its presence in France through contracts in the Paris and Brittany regions. It also secured the Chincha Wastewater Treatment Plant contract in Peru and continued to grow its operations in Georgia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.
In Spain, Aqualia renewed major service contracts in Ibiza, Vigo, Salamanca, and Jaen, reinforcing its track record in cities where it has operated for many years. In the Water Company of the Year category, Aqualia competes against four other recognized industry leaders: Acciona, Aquatech, Miahona, and Xylem.
Aqualia manages water services for 44.9 million people across 19 countries. In 2025, its global network produced more than 305 billion gallons of drinking water and treated more than 409 billion gallons of wastewater. The company operates 855,434 smart water meters for real-time system monitoring and draws nearly 45 percent of its total energy from renewable sources.
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AND A SECOND NOMINATION
Aqualia also earned a second nomination at this year’s awards: Reuse Project of the Year, recognizing its work on the European NICE project. Funded under the European Union’s H2020 research program, NICE demonstrates how engineered wetlands, green walls, and hybrid biological treatment systems can transform water management in cities. Through these approaches, grey water is captured and reused, and stormwater overflow into sewage networks is significantly reduced.
Pilot systems developed for the NICE project have produced results across several Spanish cities. In Algeciras, a 1,600-square-foot vertical wetland prevents sewage overflow and reuses more than 1,300 gallons of grey water daily during the summer months. In Madrid, a wetland at Aqualia’s headquarters recovers more than 264,000 gallons per year for irrigation and facility maintenance. In Benalmadena, a green wall system produces a similar annual volume of reused water, reducing demand on the drinking water network. A modular platform in Talavera de la Reina treats more than 26,400 gallons per day and allows testing of different reuse configurations.
The project has also reached Cairo and Pereira, Colombia, where nature-based corridors have reduced urban runoff and improved water quality. In Santander, integration with the D4Runoff initiative has helped mitigate up to 63 million gallons of water overflow annually.
In this category, Aqualia competes against projects from Wabag and Suez operating in India, Haskoning in Ireland, and Jacobs in the United Kingdom.
The double nomination reflects the kind of operational depth and innovation capacity that Aqualia brings to Texas through MDS Aqualia, a company serving communities where water is not a background issue but a daily responsibility.
RECOGNITION THAT REACHES HOME
For communities across the Houston metro and beyond, the global recognition carries a local meaning. The water and wastewater infrastructure serving those neighborhoods is managed by a company that just earned one of the highest distinctions in its industry, not because it submitted an impressive application, but because it delivered measurable results across five continents in a single year.
The awards ceremony will take place on May 19 in Madrid as part of the Global Water Summit 2026, the global gathering of water sector leaders. The winners across all categories will be announced at that event.
For more information about MDS Aqualia and its water and wastewater services in Texas, visit http://aqualiausalp.mdswater.com
