Badger Meter, Inc. announced that it has acquired s::can GmbH (“s::can”) and subsidiaries, a privately-held provider of water quality monitoring systems for a cash purchase price of €27 million.

Founded in 1999 with headquarters in Vienna, Austria, s::can specializes in optical water quality sensing solutions that provide real-time measurement of a variety of parameters in water and wastewater utilizing in-line monitoring systems. With 2019 revenue of approximately $15 million, s::can’s solutions are deployed across the globe and meet EPA and other regulatory guidelines.

Unlike traditional water quality testing, s::can solutions capture real-time data through sensors and systems that do not rely on reagents and other consumables resulting in lower capital and operating costs. s::can was recently awarded the Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Award for Growth, Innovation & Leadership in the Global Smart Online Water Sensor Solutions Market. Frost & Sullivan recognized s::can as a “pioneer in developing intelligent, accurate, and reliable IoT-enabled sensors” with a “product line which is cutting-edge and cost-effective.”

“Even during these unprecedented times, we continue to execute on our growth strategies, including pursuing strategic and accretive acquisitions,” said Kenneth C. Bockhorst, Chairman, President and CEO of Badger Meter. “Water quality is a growing concern across the globe. We believe adding s::can and their expertise in real-time water quality monitoring to the trusted Badger Meter portfolio is of tremendous strategic value to our customers. Just as water utility billing moved from manual reads to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), water quality monitoring is moving from lab sample testing to online, real-time collection, monitoring and reporting. I look forward to working with the combined Badger Meter and s::can teams to leverage our collective expertise and deliver outstanding benefits to our customers globally.”

The addition of real-time water quality parameters to Badger Meter’s core flow measurement, pressure and temperature sensing capabilities, enhances the scope of actionable data for municipalities to improve operational security, awareness and efficiency. In addition, the combined offering can provide industrial customers with both process and discharge water quality monitoring capabilities.

Bockhorst concluded, “Our ambition is for this acquisition to be the first of several as we expand our smart water focus by bringing together advanced technologies in instrumentation, while leveraging our industry-leading AMI solution consisting of our ORION® Cellular endpoint along with current and future software technologies, to provide actionable, real-time data that benefits our customers, end consumers and the planet.”