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Global Water Tech Company Buys Firm that Helped South Bend, Ind., Fix Water Problems

Xylem Inc. has recently acquired South Bend, Ind.-based EmNet, where the two companies will tag team the revamping of the city's sewer system.

(TNS) — SOUTH BEND, IND. — A company first launched as a partnership between South Bend, Ind., and the University of Notre Dame has been acquired by global water technology company Xylem Inc.

EmNet was founded in 2004 to help address the problems the city faced with combined sewer overflows. The city’s combined sewers carry both rainwater and sewer water, which can overflow into the St. Joseph River in periods of heavy rain. EmNet developed sensors and gates that redirect water during heavy rain, preventing overflow into the river.

South Bend served as the company’s beta client, to test and perfect its system. Since then, EmNet has worked with cities throughout the U.S., including Evansville, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Buffalo, N.Y.; and San Francisco.

The terms of Xylem’s acquisition of EmNet were not disclosed, but is part of Xylem’s strategy to expand its portfolio of “advanced infrastructure analytics solution,” according to a press release.

“From the beginning, EmNet’s vision has been to solve the most pressing wastewater challenges as cost effectively as possible,” said EmNet President Luis Montestruque in the release. “Joining Xylem empowers our team to greatly accelerate our progress and expand our mission to a global scale.”

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said EmNet has been a “shining example of city government and tech firms collaborating to find solutions.”

EmNet, which has 17 employees, will keep both its office at 121 S. Niles Ave. in the East Bank section of downtown and its name.

Headquartered in Rye Brook, N.Y., Xylem employs more than 16,500 people and had a 2017 annual revenue of $4.7 billion while doing business in more than 150 countries.

©2018 the South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Ind.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.