New concept aims to replace physical membrane barriers with a dosed, precipitation-based process for water and wastewater treatment

MANNHEIM, GERMANY — August 10, 2026 — Watch Water® GmbH, a Mannheim-based specialist in water and wastewater treatment technologies, today announced the development of Instant Membrane™, a liquid treatment concept that reimagines what a "membrane" can be. Rather than relying on a physical barrier such as reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) — methods that typically demand high pressure, significant energy input, and produce concentrated reject streams — Instant Membrane™ works by chemically converting dissolved contaminants into solids that can be physically separated from the water.

How It Works

Instant Membrane™ is formulated as a diluted liquid containing two functional components, one cationic and one anionic. When dosed precisely into a stream of untreated water or wastewater, these components interact with oppositely charged dissolved species, encouraging them to form insoluble precipitates.

The treatment process follows four stages:

Dosing — the two components are introduced into the water stream
Zigzag Contact — a purpose-built 10-metre zigzag contact section allows thorough mixing and reaction time
Vortex Precipitation — the stream passes through a Vortex Pressure Vessel, where intense hydraulic contact drives further precipitation and particle growth
Crystolite® Capture — the resulting solids are captured by an automated Crystolite® Duplex Filtration System, which uses two vessels (one active, one on standby) to enable automatic backwashing and continuous operation

Why It Matters

The water treatment industry is increasingly focused on compact, automated, and resource-efficient solutions, with high-recovery and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) strategies becoming more central to sustainable water management. Instant Membrane™ is positioned as Watch Water's response to that shift — instead of concentrating contaminants behind a physical barrier, the technology is designed to capture dissolved constituents as recoverable solids, potentially simplifying treatment infrastructure and reducing energy demands.

A Statement From Watch Water GmbH

"For more than 40 years, water treatment has been our passion. With Instant Membrane™, we are questioning one of the industry's oldest assumptions: that a membrane must always be a physical membrane. Our vision is simple — capture the contaminants, recover the water, and radically simplify the process."

About Watch Water®

Headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, Watch Water® is a fast-growing manufacturer of scale-prevention products, adsorbers, filter media, and instant dosing solutions for the water and wastewater treatment industries. The company operates through more than 45 branches across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Media Contact
Watch Water® GmbH
Fahrlachstraße 14, 68165 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 621 879510
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.watchwater.de | www.watchwater.com