FILTRATION WEEKLY: Q1 Earnings, Major M&A & PFAS Innovation
- WFI Team
- May 9
- 4 min read
Updated: May 11
š FILTRATION WEEKLY: Global Industry Intelligence
Issue: FW051026Ā | Date: May 10, 2026
Industry Intelligence | Brief of the World Filtration Institute (WFI)
This issue covers LANXESS, Sartorius, Donaldson, Watts Water, Repligen, Eaton, and CECO, and more.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The week of May 3ā10, 2026 was defined by record Q1 earnings across major filtration platforms and significant M&A closings. In air filtration & cleanrooms, LANXESS demonstrated its Lewatit MDS TP 108 selective resin achieving >99.9% PFAS removal at industrial scale ā a breakthrough announced at IFAT Munich 2026 ā while Eaton posted record Q1 sales of $7.5B (+17% YoY) with data center electrical orders surging 240%. In liquid filtration & separation, H2O Innovation acquired bestUV (Netherlands) on May 4, establishing a UV disinfection platform, and Watts Water Technologies posted record Q1 results ($677.3M, +21% EPS) driven by data center cooling demand. Repligen reported 15% Q1 revenue growth in bioprocess filtration and completed the divestiture of Polymem S.A.S. In industrial filtration & M&A, Donaldson Company completed its $820M acquisition of Facet Filtration on May 4, gaining aerospace and defense jet fuel filtration exposure, while CECO Environmental reported Q1 2026 orders surging 97% to $449.5M with backlog exceeding $1 billion. The Q1 2026 M&A review highlights record EBITDA multiples of 19ā20x as strategic buyers accelerate consolidation of premium filtration platforms.
TOP NEWS HEADLINES (LAST 7 DAYS)
1. [Innovation] LANXESS Lewatit MDS TP 108 Achieves >99.9% PFAS Removal at Industrial Scale in Chemours Trial LANXESS announced at IFAT Munich 2026 that its monodisperse selective resin Lewatit MDS TP 108 removed more than 99.9% of all fluorinated organic compounds (including short- and ultrashort-chain PFAS) from wastewater in a full-scale industrial trial at Chemours Netherlands in Dordrecht. The system uses a three-stage cascade process combining reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and ion exchange. š Read More +
2. [Financial] Eaton Reports Record Q1 2026 Results: Sales +17%, Data Center Electrical Orders Surge 240% Eaton Corporation reported record Q1 2026 sales of $7.5B (+17% YoY) on May 5, raising its organic growth guidance to 10% for 2026. Data center electrical orders surged approximately 240%, with filtration and fluid power businesses contributing to record group revenue and a backlog of $22.8B. š Read More +
3. [M&A] Donaldson Closes $820M Facet Filtration Acquisition, Gains Major Aerospace & Defense Exposure Donaldson Company completed the all-cash acquisition of Facet Filtration on May 4, 2026, for approximately $820M. Facet is a pioneer in jet fuel filtration with products deployed at every stage of the aviation fuel supply chain, significantly expanding Donaldson's aerospace and defense segment. š Read More +
4. [M&A] H2O Innovation Acquires bestUV, Enters UV Water Disinfection Market with Dutch Technology Leader H2O Innovation (Canada) announced on May 4 the acquisition of bestUV, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of advanced UV water disinfection systems headquartered in Brainport Eindhoven. The acquisition extends H2O Innovation's portfolio into UV disinfection alongside its existing membrane and filtration systems. š Read More +
5. [Financial] Watts Water Technologies Posts Record Q1 2026: Revenue $677.3M, EPS +34%, 21% Dividend Increase Watts Water Technologies reported record Q1 2026 net sales of $677.3M (+21% YoY) on May 6, with organic growth of 12% and adjusted EPS of $3.04 (+34% YoY). The company declared a 21% dividend increase and cited data center cooling as a key growth driver. š Read More +
6. [Financial] Repligen Q1 2026: Revenue +15% to $194M, Polymem Divested, Bioprocess Filtration Focused for Profitability Repligen Corporation reported Q1 2026 revenue of $194M (+15%) on May 5, with the filtration segment growing mid-single digits. The company completed the divestiture of Polymem S.A.S., sharpening its focus on high-margin bioprocessing consumables including ATF filtration and fluid management. š Read More +
7. [Financial] Sartorius Group Q1 2026: Group Revenue +7.5%, Bioprocess Solutions +8.1% Germany's Sartorius AG reported Q1 2026 group sales revenue of ā¬899M (+7.5% in constant currencies) on May 5, with its Bioprocess Solutions Division ā housing biopharmaceutical filtration and single-use systems ā growing 8.1%. The company reaffirmed full-year guidance, citing strong North American biopharma demand. š Read More +
8. [Financial] CECO Environmental Q1 2026: Orders Surge 97%, Backlog Tops $1B for the First Time CECO Environmental reported Q1 2026 orders of $449.5M (+97% YoY), with total backlog surpassing $1 billion for the first time (+72% YoY). Adjusted EBITDA reached $20.4M (+46%). Management raised full-year revenue guidance to $940Mā$1.0B as the pending Thermon acquisition approaches close. š Read More +
9. [Market Analysis] Filtration M&A Review Q1 2026: Record EBITDA Multiples of 19ā20x as Strategic Buyers Race to Consolidate The global filtration industry is undergoing historic consolidation, with diversified industrials paying 19ā20x EBITDA for premium filtration platforms. Parker Hannifin's pending $9.25B Filtration Group acquisition and Donaldson's $820M Facet deal are reshaping the competitive landscape heading into Q2 2026. š Read More +
10. [Market Analysis] Cleanroom Filtration Market on Course for $18.6B by 2033 as CHIPS Act and AI Drive Semiconductor Fab Expansion The global semiconductor cleanroom market, valued at $7.9B in 2025, is projected to reach $18.6B by 2033 (CAGR: 11.3%), fueled by CHIPS Act funding and AI chip manufacturing ramp-ups. Cleanova strengthened its filtration portfolio with strategic acquisitions of Airflotek and TES Clean Air Systems. š Read More +
UPCOMING EVENTS
Air Filter Testing and Evaluation, May 19, 2026, 8:00 - 10:00 AM EDT
About FILTRATION WEEKLY
FILTRATION WEEKLY is a global industry intelligence newsletter covering the global filtration market and 100+ leading companies across air, water, industrial, and bioprocess filtration. Each issue delivers a concise 3-minute executive briefing on key headlines, M&A activity, technology innovations, new developments, earnings, and trends, to help industry leaders and professionals stay ahead in the evolving filtration. Read more issues.
About WFI
The World Filtration Institute (WFI) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to supportingĀ the filtration and separation industry and advancing the science and technologies for a cleaner, healthier, smarter, and more sustainable future.
Learn more: https://www.wfius.org/