Breakthrough Water Impact Reporting Standard Launched by AquaAction and OXIA Initiative

Chicago, IL – September 30, 2025 — At a time of fast-rising global water insecurity, a partnership between water innovation experts has formed to revolutionize the way water technologies companies can measure and communicate water savings. 

At the WEFTEC water technology trade conference in Chicago, Soula Chronopoulos, President of AquaAction, and Emmanuelle Tavernier, CEO of OXIA Initiative, alongside preferred partner Ovivo, announced Water Positive Impact Reports: a pioneering reporting framework that quantifies water savings based on International Standard Organization (ISO) methodology, like those that underpin the multi-billion carbon market.  

This breakthrough water reporting framework fulfills a market demand for credible, standardized, and investor-ready method to assess and communicate the positive environmental performance of water technologies, thereby accelerating the ability of the marketplace to catalyze private investment in water-saving technologies. 

Thirteen water tech companies within AquaAction’s portfolio have already undertaken the Water Positive Impact reports. Within three years, these innovators will have achieved water savings equivalent to 38,500 Olympic swimming pools: enough water to supply approximately 900,000 North American homes.  

“This partnership marks a major leap forward in our mission to accelerate water impact,” says Soula Chronopoulos. “By equipping these start-ups with robust, internationally recognized reporting tools, we empower them to demonstrate their contributions to the U.N. Sustainable Development goal of clean water and sanitation for all.” 

These reports support a future where water resources are more clearly valued and emerging credit markets require verifiable methods of proving water savings. Just as carbon accounting has grown into a $100 billion market and helped drive global climate action, accurately measuring water impact is now key to attracting sustainable finance for cutting-edge innovators. 

“By aligning with ISO methodologies, we’re bridging the gap between innovation and investment, helping water-saving technologies scale faster and more effectively,” says Emmanuelle Tavernier. “Together, with our catalytic partner AquaAction, we are setting a new benchmark for environmental accountability in the water tech sector.” 

 

Quotes 

“At Ovivo, we provide sustainable and efficient water treatment solutions with a desire to measure real impact and improve water management. Investing in water savings is investing in our collective future. I’m excited for a time when we more fully recognize the true value of water.”

• Pierre-Marc Sarrazin, Vice-President, Corporate Finance, Development & Treasurer at Ovivo

“Water is often the silent casualty of climate change: overlooked, undervalued, and underreported. With Water Positive Impact Reports, we finally have a way to make water savings credible and bankable. At Ecotime, we’re proud to be part of a movement that turns environmental ambition into measurable outcomes.”

• Eddy Dureuil, Vice-President, Ecotime

Quick Facts

• AquaAction is a not-for-profit that empowers innovators and entrepreneurs to develop and deploy cutting-edge water technologies that drive sustainable solutions for water security. Through leadership development, coaching, and industry partnerships, we accelerate the growth of water-focused startups, foster collaboration, and champion water technology and innovation as pillars of economic resilience, environmental sustainability, and national security.
• The partnership includes access to WATERSCOPE, a platform developed by OXIA Initiative for automated water impact quantification and certification. WATERSCOPE enables stakeholders—from investors to governments—to view technologies through a “water lens,” identifying avoided consumption and showcasing positive water impact.
• OXIA Initiative, AquaAction’s impact partner, provides enterprises within AquaAction’s programs with access to its Enterprise Portal, delivering reports aligned with ISO 14046 standards. These reports analyze water conservation, efficiency, and replenishment, comparing baseline scenarios with the actual impact of WaterTech solutions. The insights help enterprises refine their technologies, attract impact funding, and unlock new market opportunities.
• In addition to water metrics, enterprises benefit from Carbon Positive Impact Reports via OXIA’s CARBOSCOPE platform, which calculates avoided greenhouse gas emissions using ISO 14064-2:2019 standards.
• AquaAction’s Impact since 2016:
  • 100+ active water tech companies
  • $200M+ in annual revenues
  • $65M+ capital raised
  • 400+ green jobs created

Contact

Melanie Fontaine
Senior Manager, Media and Communications
melanie.fontaine@aquaaction.org