How Seven Seas Water Doubled in Value to $1B in Just 4 Years | Salty Water Podcast скачать в хорошем качестве

How Seven Seas Water Doubled in Value to $1B in Just 4 Years | Salty Water Podcast

What does it really take to double the value of a water company in under four years? In this episode of the Salty Water Podcast with Eric Jankel, we sit down with Henry Charrabé, CEO of Seven Seas Water, to unpack one of the most significant value creation stories in the global water sector. When Henry stepped into the CEO role, Seven Seas Water was valued at approximately $500 million. Less than four years later, the company was acquired by EQT for more than $1 billion. This episode explores how that happened, what decisions mattered most, and why the company’s Water as a Service strategy became a major growth driver. This conversation goes beyond headlines and deal announcements. It dives deep into leadership, private equity ownership, decentralized water and wastewater systems, and why delivery models now matter as much as technology in the water industry. Episode Summary In this Salty Water Podcast episode, Eric Jankel speaks with Henry Charrabé about how Seven Seas Water scaled rapidly across the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America by focusing on long-term operating models rather than traditional build-and-leave infrastructure projects. Henry explains how Water as a Service aligns incentives between operators, investors, and customers, why decentralized water and wastewater systems reduce risk and energy use, and how private equity ownership changes management focus compared with publicly traded companies. The conversation also covers Texas water markets, infrastructure funding gaps, leadership challenges during rapid growth, and why culture and execution ultimately determine whether strategy succeeds. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Salty Water Podcast and episode overview 00:45 The origin story of Seven Seas Water and early desalination roots 02:00 From $500M to $1B, the EQT acquisition and value creation 02:50 Taking the CEO role and resetting company strategy 04:00 Rebuilding leadership teams and reshaping company culture 05:20 Private equity ownership vs public markets 07:30 Why Water as a Service outperforms EPC and BOO models 09:45 CapEx sweet spots for desalination and wastewater projects 11:00 The case for decentralized water and wastewater systems 13:20 Why big centralized plants no longer work 14:30 Operating across Texas, the Caribbean, and Latin America 16:10 Texas water policy, funding gaps, and growth opportunities 17:45 Future growth under EQT and industrial Water as a Service 19:30 Final leadership lessons and closing thoughts What You Will Learn in This Episode • How Seven Seas Water grew from roughly 150 to more than 220 projects • Why Water as a Service is replacing traditional infrastructure delivery models • How decentralized water and wastewater systems lower risk and operating costs • What private equity ownership changes about leadership and execution • Why Texas is a key growth market for water infrastructure • How long-term offtake agreements create stable value • Why culture and leadership matter as much as capital Why This Episode Matters The global water industry faces aging infrastructure, population growth, climate pressure, energy constraints, and massive capital shortfalls. In the United States alone, the water and wastewater infrastructure backlog is measured in the trillions. This episode of the Salty Water Podcast with Eric Jankel explains why simply building bigger centralized plants is no longer enough, and how smarter, decentralized, service-based models are reshaping how water projects are financed, built, and operated. Whether you work in desalination, wastewater treatment, infrastructure finance, utilities, engineering, private equity, or public policy, this conversation offers real-world insights from inside a billion-dollar water platform. About the Salty Water Podcast The Salty Water Podcast with Eric Jankel explores the technologies, policies, business models, and leadership shaping the future of water. Through long-form podcast conversations with industry leaders, the show examines desalination, wastewater treatment, infrastructure investment, and innovation across global water markets. Podcasting allows these complex topics to be explored in depth, with context and nuance that short-form content cannot provide. 🎧 Subscribe to the Salty Water Podcast with Eric Jankel 🌍 Visit https://SaltyWaterPodcast.com 📌 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio Search Topics and Keywords Salty Water Podcast, water as a service, Seven Seas Water, Henry Charrabé, desalination business, wastewater infrastructure, decentralized water systems, private equity water investment, Texas water infrastructure, infrastructure finance, water industry leadership, water podcast, desalination podcast, wastewater podcast