In 1996, Hydrok UK Ltd began with a clear ambition: to develop practical engineering solutions for the water industry. Thirty years later, that ambition has evolved.
Our technology, expertise and partnerships have grown alongside the challenges facing the water industry. Today, as Eliquo Hydrok, we continue to engineer solutions that help protect our rivers and seas.
30 years of Evolution
1996 - Engineering starts with a problem
Hydrok developed innovative screening technologies including the Peak Screen, Provent Safety Grid, Spider Channel Cleaner and Airmex Screen. By 1999, Hydrok screens had achieved National Test Centre approval.
2000s - Expanding what engineering can do
Through investment in manufacturing, CAD, product development and partnerships helped Hydrok move beyond screening.
Aeration, biological treatment and pilot projects became increasingly important, building experience across different treatment processes and operating environments.
2014 - Engineering at scale
The Deephams project marked Hydrok's first major new collaboration with Mecana, on a tertiary filtration project and, at the time, one of the largest installations of its kind globally.
It demonstrated how years of product development and engineering experience could be applied to complex treatment challenges at scale.
2016 - Becoming Eliquo Hydrok
Hydrok joined the Eliquo Water Group, bringing established UK engineering capability together with a wider European network of technologies, expertise and partnerships.
Today - A broader engineering capability
Eliquo Hydrok now works across:
- Screening
- Aeration
- IFAS
- Tertiary Filtration
- Sludge Treatment
Our experience has grown from individual technologies to integrated solutions for increasingly complex water and environmental challenges.
Protecting rivers and seas
What happens at a treatment works doesn't stop at the site boundary, The performance of wastewater treatment can affect the rivers receiving treated water and, ultimately, the wider marine environment. Which is why the evolution of water treatment technology matters.
Better engineering and technology across the ELIQUO group can support better treatment, improved reliability and greater environmental performance examples of this cross-company collaboration can be witnessed through the introduction of technologies such as the ELOVAC® which addresses “hidden” methane emissions from sewage sludge digestion, improving climate performance and plant operations through better dewatering and fewer whole-life issues, and ELODRY® which is a low-temperature belt drying technology designed to reduce the water content of dewatered sludge, producing a dry, stable product that is easier and more cost-effective to handle. The modular drying system provides an energy-efficient and safe way to reduce sludge mass while supporting downstream processes such as nutrient recovery, energy recovery or sustainable reuse.
Engineering for what's next
The challenges facing the water environment continue to evolve. So does our engineering. SeaCURE is one example. Working with the University of Exeter, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Brunel University London, Eliquo Hydrok contributed industrial engineering and MEICA integration expertise to a pilot exploring electrochemical removal of dissolved CO₂ from seawater.
It was a different challenge from those we were tackling in 1996. But the approach is the same:
- Understand the challenge.
- Engineer the solution.
- Make it work in the real world.
Collaboration for Drinking Water Treatment
A flagship scheme for Essex & Suffolk Water showcases the UK's first large-scale Mecana AG cloth media filtration installation for potable water treatment, helping address increasing algal loading while preserving Layer WTW's established low-chemical treatment philosophy.
Manufactured and supplied by ELIQUO Hydrok, the new pre-treatment stage comprises ten Mecana filter units, protecting downstream assets, improving treatment resilience and reducing operational impacts during challenging raw water conditions. The raised configuration allows chemical free pre-treated water to gravitate to the existing downstream process, minimising energy consumption and supporting long-term sustainability objectives.
A great example of collaborative engineering between Essex & Suffolk Water, NWG (Northumbrian Water Group), Stantec and ELIQUO Hydrok to deliver a resilient, low-carbon solution for the future of drinking water treatment
