Aquamonitrix CEO Colm Lynch. Image: Aquamonitrix
The Carlow company is working with Thames Water to demonstrate that nitrite and nitrate monitoring in wastewater can improve wastewater treatment performance.
Irish tech start-up Aquamonitrix has confirmed that its COO Colm Lynch has taken over as CEO of the company.
Mark Bowkett, the former CEO and founder of the company, will stay on in a director role and assist Lynch on commercial activities as it expands its business. The change in leadership comes after the company signed a 12-month deal with utility company Thames Water to improve wastewater services.
Aquamonitrix has developed a novel real-time method to help the water industry measure nitrates and nitrites – chemical compounds that are toxic to fish. The company is a spin-out of oil and environmental analysis company TE Laboratories, which was founded in 1991.
Lynch was the COO of Aquamonitrix since the company was founded in August 2021. He has 25 years’ experience in the environment industry, with previous senior roles in Irish Building Chemicals, Labscan and GKA Technologies, before he joined TE Laboratories as head of operations in 2018.
“Organisations around the world have embraced the need for innovative technologies that provide opportunities for continuous emission reduction, and I am delighted to be working with a dedicated team bringing new products that will make a difference,” Lynch said.
The Carlow start-up has grown to a team of 50 and has sold its analysers to fish farms around the world, with customers in countries such as Norway, the Netherlands and Canada. Aquamonitrix said it also works with alongside major utility companies, transport operators, environmental regulators and local authorities in Ireland.
In October 2023, Aquamonitrix emerged as the BIM Aquatech Business of the Year. It was one of three Irish aquatech companies competing for the award, coming up against Aqualicence and Konree Innovation.
The deal with Thames Water – which has 15m customers in the UK – aims to demonstrate that nitrite and nitrate monitoring can improve wastewater treatment performance.
“If successful, the implementation of our technology in the day-to-day operations of Thames Water could hugely reduce energy consumption and process emissions, and make a serious contribution towards emission reductions,” Lynch said.
“With ongoing concern around the impact of climate change, we are very excited to be on the frontline of projects on the scale of Thames Water which will be making a significant contribution to making the world a more environmentally friendly place to live in.”
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