Stormwater Management Patent Landscape 2026
Stormwater Management Patent Landscape in 2026
The stormwater management patent field is concentrated, with Contech Engineered Solutions LLC holding the largest share among the top filers, and the United States accounting for the dominant share of jurisdictional coverage. The field peaked in 2021 and annual volume has eased since, though near-term data remains subject to publication lag.
Contech leads a moderately concentrated field with a clear US focus
Contech Engineered Solutions LLC holds the top position with 96 patent records, nearly 63% more than the second-ranked Advanced Drainage Systems Inc at 59 patent records, establishing a meaningful lead over all challengers.
The top five filers together account for 39% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate-to-high concentration at the apex but a long tail of smaller specialty players and academic entrants below them.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contech Engineered Solutions LLC | 96 | |
| 2 | Advanced Drainage Systems Inc | 59 | |
| 3 | Neptune Benson Inc | 41 | |
| 4 | University of Central Florida Research Foundation | 25 | |
| 5 | Oldcastle Infrastructure Inc | 25 | |
| 6 | ArcelorMittal SA | 21 | |
| 7 | StormTrap LLC | 18 | |
| 8 | Dover Chemical Corporation | 15 | |
| 9 | Dharma IP LLC | 13 | |
| 10 | Thomas E. Pank | 13 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | HaloSource Inc | 11 | |
| 12 | Brien Edward Goninan | 10 | |
| 13 | Stone Island Holdings | 9 | |
| 14 | Swedish Hydro Solutions AB | 9 | |
| 15 | Geomatrix LLC | 9 | |
| 16 | StormTree Inc | 9 | |
| 17 | GHD Pty Ltd | 9 | |
| 18 | University of Maryland | 7 | |
| 19 | StormTreat Systems | 7 | |
| 20 | Unisearch Ltd | 7 |
The leader’s position, rooted in separation and water treatment processes, signals that filtration and physical treatment technologies are the most defensively covered routes; entrants seeking differentiation must look to adjacent or application-specific branches.
Filings from approximately 2024 onward are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication lag of 18–24 months; apparent recent softness should not be interpreted as a structural decline without corroborating evidence.
Activity peaked in 2021; treatment and separation dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend reveals a clear arc from 2017 to 2021, followed by easing volume, while the IPC composition shows that water treatment and separation processes account for the vast majority of classified activity.
Annual filing trend
Filings grew steadily from 27 in 2017 to a peak of 62 in 2021, then eased to levels in the 20s–50s range in subsequent years. The 2025–2026 bars are almost certainly undercounted due to publication lag and should not be read as structural decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation and filtration processes) together dominate the IPC branch mix, with E03F (sewerage) a clear third. Branches such as E02B (hydraulic engineering), B04C (cyclone separators), and G06Q (business and data processing) each hold single-digit share, marking them as under-served relative to the core.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Green sorption material mixes for water treatment
Media compositions for use in wastewater treatment, stormwater treatment, CSO treatment and greenroof stormwater management systems as filtration media, plant growth media or pollutant retention media. Media composition includes at least one of a recycled material selected from a group consisting of tire crumb, wood sawdust and paper and a naturally… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stormwater filter assembly | 479 |
| 2 | Method and apparatus for treating stormwater runoff | 261 |
| 3 | System, method and apparatus for treating liquids … | 185 |
| 4 | Enhanced subsurface flow constructed wetland | 135 |
| 5 | Subsurface upflow wetland system for nutrient and … | 133 |
| 6 | Integrated aquaculture and bioremediation system a… | 111 |
| 7 | Stormwater treatment apparatus | 107 |
| 8 | Stormwater treatment system/apparatus | 106 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The field’s concentration, lifecycle stage, and geographic skew each carry distinct implications for teams deciding where to file, partner, or differentiate.
Field is past its 2021 peak; annual volume has eased
Annual filings peaked at 62 in 2021 and have trended lower since, placing the field in a post-peak phase. Core water treatment and filtration routes are mature and densely covered. Teams entering now face higher prior-art density in the dominant IPC classes, making differentiation via adjacent branches or application-specific claims more important than volume filing in established areas.
Post-peak · 2021Top tier is a two-player lead group; mid-tier is fragmented
Contech Engineered Solutions LLC (96 patent records) and Advanced Drainage Systems Inc (59 patent records) together anchor the top tier, with Neptune Benson Inc (41 patent records) a step behind. Below the top five, the field fragments into a long tail of single-digit holders including independents, SMEs, and universities. This structure suggests the core space is consolidating while peripheral niches remain open.
Moderate-high concentrationCo-filing activity is sparse; HaloSource is the most active co-filer
Recorded co-applicant pairings are limited: HaloSource Inc has filed jointly with both Syngenta Limited and St. Jude Medical Systems Inc, while Pank Thomas E has co-filed with Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. The low frequency of collaboration suggests the field is largely prosecuted by single assignees, leaving ecosystem partnership strategies as a relatively untested lever for capability expansion.
Low collaboration densityUS-centric coverage; limited strategic presence in Asia
The United States accounts for the largest share of jurisdictional coverage, followed by Canada, WIPO PCT, Australia, and Europe. South Korea shows a presence, but Japan holds only a small footprint, and China is not prominently represented. Teams with global commercialization ambitions face relatively thin prior-art density in Asian markets, which may represent both a filing opportunity and reduced competitive intelligence from those regions.
US-dominant · Asia sparseGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| HaloSource Inc | Syngenta Limited | 1 |
| HaloSource Inc | St. Jude Medical Systems Inc | 1 |
| Thomas E. Pank | Advanced Drainage Systems Inc | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Contech and Advanced Drainage Systems lead by volume; University of Central Florida enters as a new academic force
The top two commercial players emphasize physical separation and wastewater treatment processes, while a new academic entrant is carving out a chemistry-intensive niche in adsorption and catalysis.
Contech Engineered Solutions LLC
Contech leads with 96 patent records, anchoring its portfolio in filtration separation processes (B01D 33 and B01D 35) and biological water treatment (C02F 3). Recent momentum is sharply negative at –80%, pointing to a deliberate portfolio consolidation or product-line maturation rather than active expansion. Its prior entity Contech Stormwater Solutions Inc and Contech Construction Products Inc extend the effective coverage further.
patent records: 96Advanced Drainage Systems Inc
Advanced Drainage Systems Inc holds 59 patent records with a technology emphasis split across sewerage infrastructure (E03F 5), water treatment (C02F 1), and filtration (B01D 24) — a broader application footprint than the leader. Recent momentum is –30%, a shallower retreat than Contech, suggesting continued but measured investment. It is also the only top-ranked player with a recorded co-filing relationship in this corpus.
patent records: 59| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Drainage Systems Inc | 19 | ▼ -30% |
| Neptune Benson Inc | 6 | ▼ -80% |
| Contech Engineered Solutions LLC | 2 | ▼ -80% |
| University of Central Florida Research Foundation | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
| ArcelorMittal SA | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| StormTrap LLC | 6 | ▼ -40% |
| BIO CLEAN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC | 5 | ▼ -50% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant treatment core
Several IPC branches appear in the corpus at low frequency relative to the dominant water-treatment and filtration classes, marking them as areas where prior-art density is lower and differentiated claims may face less crowding.
E02B · Hydraulic & waterway engineering
E02B covers hydraulic structures including detention basins, weirs, and channel management — infrastructure elements directly relevant to stormwater conveyance and volume control. With only 33 patent records and a 2% share of the branch mix, this sub-domain is sparsely covered relative to end-of-pipe treatment. Teams developing integrated green infrastructure or real-time flow-control hardware have a comparatively open prior-art environment here, and the technical adjacency to the dominant E03F sewerage class provides a plausible entry path.
Search this in Eureka →G06Q / G06N · Digital monitoring and AI-driven stormwater management
Business and administrative data processing (G06Q, 8 patent records) and AI-model computing (G06N, 1 patent record) together represent an almost unoccupied corner of the stormwater landscape. As municipal utilities adopt sensor networks and predictive control for combined sewer overflow and runoff forecasting, the intersection of stormwater with data analytics and machine learning carries plausible technical value. The near-absence of incumbents in these branches means early filings could establish foundational positions before the space densifies.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | E03F 5 · Sewerage | B01D 21 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | C02F 3 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 24 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Drainage Systems Inc | Strong · 30 | Strong · 40 | Moderate · 11 | Emerging · 6 | Strong · 26 |
| Neptune Benson Inc | Strong · 25 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 37 |
| Contech Stormwater Solutions Inc | Strong · 19 | Strong · 11 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 6 |
| StormTrap LLC | Strong · 14 | Moderate · 6 | Strong · 16 | Absent | Absent |
| HaloSource Inc | Strong · 17 | Absent | Strong · 16 | Absent | Absent |
| University of Central Florida Research Foundation | Strong · 19 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 7 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Contech Engineered Solutions LLC leads with 96 patent records, followed by Advanced Drainage Systems Inc with 59 and Neptune Benson Inc with 41, based on the top-100 applicant ranking in this corpus.
Water and wastewater treatment (C02F) and separation and filtration processes (B01D) are the two largest IPC branches, with sewerage (E03F) a clear third. These three classes collectively account for the large majority of classified activity in the corpus.
The field peaked at 62 annual filings in 2021 and has eased since. The lifecycle assessment places the field in a post-peak phase. Data from 2024 onward is subject to publication lag and should be interpreted cautiously before concluding that the trend has fully stabilized.
The United States accounts for the largest jurisdictional footprint, followed by Canada, WIPO PCT, Australia, and Europe. Asian markets — particularly Japan and China — are comparatively under-represented in this corpus.
Hydraulic and waterway engineering (E02B, 33 patent records) and digital or AI-driven management approaches (G06Q at 8 records, G06N at 1 record) are among the most sparsely covered branches relative to the dominant treatment and filtration classes, suggesting lower prior-art density for teams working in those directions.
Co-applicant filings are rare. The recorded pairings include HaloSource Inc with Syngenta Limited, HaloSource Inc with St. Jude Medical Systems Inc, and Pank Thomas E with Advanced Drainage Systems Inc, each with a single co-filed record. The field is predominantly prosecuted by single assignees.
Ready to map your own stormwater management patent landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.