Making a Splash in Water Treatment
Tennants Distribution is expanding its water treatment business as tighter regulations, higher customer expectations and growing technical demands reshape the market for products, services and expertise that ensure compliant, efficient water management.
Tennants Distribution stands today as one of the UK’s leading independent chemical distributors, supplying essential materials to a wide range of industrial sectors. With a heritage dating back to 1797, the company has evolved from its origins in textile bleaching chemistry to become a major broad industrial supplier of chemicals. Stocking over 2,500 products in a wide variety of packaging formats, Tennants Distribution now serves a range of markets, including paint and coatings, food and nutrition, pharmaceuticals, personal care, detergents, metal finishing and water treatment.
The company’s water treatment business has shown particularly rapid growth over the past couple of years, supported by the January 2026 acquisition of Apliclor Water Solutions, a Spanish specialist in the water treatment industry. The deal coincides with a growing demand for industrial water treatment products, chemicals, equipment and services. The timing is significant. Across industrial, municipal and drinking water applications, operators are under increasing pressure to control emissions, improve process performance and meet stricter standards for discharge and sanitation.
Wastewater challenges
Wastewater from industrial manufacturing processes can contain complex mixtures of organic and inorganic compounds, some of which may be potentially harmful if not treated effectively. This is why the industry faces particular regulatory challenges with regards to water treatment. With a focus on compliance with environmental standards and the need for sustainable practices, companies must adhere to strict regulations, but that regulatory environment is constantly changing, with new standards being introduced frequently. This is a persistent challenge for industrial operators.
Recent regulation updates in the chemical industry regarding wastewater focus on improving environmental standards and reducing pollution. Recent regulatory changes have pushed the sector towards tighter monitoring, stricter discharge expectations and wider use of Best Available Techniques (BAT). At the same time, AMP8 (the 8th cycle of the England and Wales Asset Management Plan that guides water companies’ capital and operational investments) is driving fresh funding across the UK water sector between 2025 and 2030, sharpening the focus on environmental performance and operational resilience.
For customers, wastewater strategy is no longer just about meeting permit limits. It is increasingly linked to cost control, ESG expectations, reputational risk and the need to keep production running without disruption. The ability to adapt to these challenges could be a key differentiator in the competitive landscape of the industry. Addressing them requires innovative solutions and effective management strategies to ensure compliance with environmental regulations while optimising resource use.
Range of solutions
The strongest response combines reliable supply with sound technical support and practical treatment know-how. With years of experience in wastewater treatment, and a full understanding of the issues that their customers face, Tennants combines product supply with practical technical insights, helping customers respond to changing requirements while improving treatment performance. Its product range covers the core chemistry needed across industrial and municipal water applications.
The company’s portfolio spans reagents for pH control, coagulation, oxidation, disinfection, corrosion control and sludge conditioning, supporting safe operation, production continuity and cost-effective solutions that enable regulatory compliance.
Key product groups include:
• Coagulants and flocculants: such as aluminium sulphate, ferric salts, polyaluminium chloride, as well as more sustainable alternatives such as polytannates, to help improve clarification and the removal of solids.
• pH adjusters: including hydrated lime and caustic soda, as well as mineral acids, to neutralise the pH of effluents and optimise them for downstream treatment.
• Oxidising agents and disinfectants: such as sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and potassium permanganate are used for odour control, contaminant oxidation and pathogen reduction.
• Scale and corrosion inhibitors: to protect plant infrastructure and support operational efficiency.
• Activated carbons: to remove organic contaminants.
• Speciality additives: including antifoams, defoamers, glycols and phosphonates, providing solutions to a range of water treatment requirements.
The aim is to provide water treatment solutions that are not only effective and economical, but also aligned with the wider need for responsible water management. Adopting sustainable practices, such as efficient usage, pollution prevention and advanced treatment technologies, can help protect natural resources and lower the environmental impact of industrial activities.
Focus on acidic wastewater
One common challenge is acidic wastewater. This is typically defined as effluent with a low pH value, below 7. Acidic wastewater can arise from processes such as chemical manufacturing, metal treatment and food production. It poses significant environmental risks due to its corrosive nature and, if left untreated, can damage sewer infrastructure and harm aquatic ecosystems.
To address this, Tennants offers around 20 different pH adjusters among its range of water treatment chemical products. One flagship example is Neutralac® SLS45, which is supplied through a long-standing partnership with Lhoist UK. Over a decade of collaboration has centred on the distribution and deployment of Neutralac® SLS45, an advanced liquid lime reagent that is designed to neutralise acidic effluents quickly, maintain a stable pH, and support the removal of heavy metals, sulphates, phosphates, fluorides, fats, oils and grease.
Compared with more traditional reagents such as caustic soda or powdered lime, Neutralac® SLS45 can offer easier handling, lower sludge generation, good process stability and lower operating costs in many applications. For example, Neutralac® SLS45’s high neutralisation capability is stronger than the usual 30% caustic soda solution, and more powerful than any other milk of lime currently available for use at industrial facilities. However, in practice, it is as fast-reacting as caustic soda (and more reactive than magnesium hydroxide or other lime slurries). The high concentrations of hydrated lime in Neutralac® SLS45 ensure that large amounts of calcium and hydroxide irons act together as powerful precipitators on all types of acidic effluents. The Kiwa Reactivity Test shows that 90% of lime particles are dissolved within 5 seconds, with the reaction with the effluent starting almost immediately. Its fast reaction profile and practical storage benefits make it a strong option for sites seeking both efficiency and ease of use.
Crucially, the product’s use is backed by laboratory analysis, technical consultation, on-site testing support, trial equipment and appropriate storage systems. That combination of reagent, service and distribution support reflects Tennants’ wider approach: not simply supplying chemicals, but also helping customers, with an integrated approach that helps customers to optimise treatment performance and maintain compliance.
Expanded offering
Tennants’ commitment to the wastewater treatment sector is also reflected in its recent acquisition of Apliclor Water Solutions, a Spanish water treatment specialist with more than a century of experience in managing water quality across a range of sectors. The deal broadened Tennants’ European footprint and brought additional technical expertise in filtration systems, reagent dosing, electrochlorination and turnkey water treatment projects.
As Tim Griffiths, Managing Director of Tennants Distribution, said when the acquisition was announced in January 2026, in a statement to the press, “This move expands our European distribution capability and brings valued technical expertise and services to our water treatment.”
For example, Apliclor brings in-house blending and formulation, technical capabilities, storage capacity, dedicated delivery assets and additional engineering support. These offerings strengthen Tennants’ ability to serve customers with both chemical supply and integrated technical solutions, and they are consistent with the company’s long term strategy of strengthening its position in the environmental and water treatment markets.
In keeping with Tennants’ integrated approach (Figure 1), Apliclor tailors its offering to the specific requirements of each customer, whether that means supplying process chemicals, cleaning reagents or filtration and disinfection systems. Its engineering capability also supports the design, installation and maintenance of water treatment facilities for plants in the UK, across Europe and beyond.
Commitment to sustainability
In accordance with its own sustainability policy, and as a responsible and leading chemical distribution company, Tennants understands the need to reduce the environmental and societal impact of its operations, activities and products. The core values of the Tennants Group – trust, integrity, patience and accountability – underpin all business activities and support its sustainability goals. Tennants’ sustainability policy focuses on the three pillars of ESG.
Wastewater treatment is a sector in which regulatory compliance and environmental responsibility are paramount. These factors remain central to the business, supported by quality systems, recognised industry standards and a long-standing commitment to Responsible Care, including:
• ISO 9001 quality management
• BRC (British Retail Consortium) standards for storage of ambient food chemicals and ingredients
• FEMAS (Feed Materials Assurance Scheme) certification
• Adherence to Responsible Care principles
The company also trains its teams in hazard and risk analysis principles (HACCP), helping to ensure that all chemicals are stored, handled and distributed safely, while customers receive consistent and reliable product quality and support.
Tennants also works towards compliance, sustainability and social responsibility in its supply chain, seeking solutions that minimise carbon emissions and environmental impact – an increasingly important consideration for wastewater treatment operators facing tightening environmental regulations.
Reliable distribution
Wastewater treatment depends on a steady, reliable supply of chemicals because interruptions can quickly create compliance, environmental and production risks.
Those risks include:
• Permit breaches and environmental harm
• Production disruption, leading to industrial downtime
• Higher operating costs
Tennants helps reduce those risks through its depot network, fleet capability and flexible packaging formats (from bags and drums to IBCs and bulk tankers). Tennants’ ability to respond quickly to customer needs, supported by responsive local decision-making and technical expertise, combined with that infrastructure, makes the company a dependable partner for customers managing complex water treatment operations.
Conclusion
Water treatment is becoming more demanding, more visible and more technically complex. Tennants has positioned itself to respond with a combination of product breadth, specialist expertise, strategic investment and dependable supply.
Tennants is evolving into a cornerstone of the UK’s wastewater treatment supply chain. With a rich history, a broad and specialised product portfolio, strategic acquisitions and a commitment to quality and sustainability, Tennants supports the essential work of treating and protecting water resources at the toughest end of the sector – industrial wastewater.
As regulations tighten and industrial customers seek cleaner, effective and compliant solutions to their wastewater challenges, the successful proposition is becoming increasingly clear: combine chemistry, logistics and technical expertise in an integrated approach that reliably supports industry meet today’s water treatment challenges, while also being prepared for the changes that might come next.
Contact:
Maria Kelly
Director and Divisional Manager
Tennants Distribution Ltd
Telephone: 0161 206 4454
Email: Maria.Kelly@tennantsdistribution.co.uk
Website: www.tennantsdistribution.com
