# Industry Water Filtration, Inc.

Revolutionary new technology to expansion of the Aquaponics industry

## Elevator pitch
Industry Water Filtration manufactures a water processing machine uniquely adapted to Aquaponics farms. Fish tanks provide the nutrients for growing crops in a closed loop recirculation of water. The water must be treated to keep the fish healthy and feed the plants. The IWF machine maintains the water with little or no maintenance.

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/industrywaterfiltration
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:10443
- Last updated: 2026-06-02T05:00:06Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-04T04:12:53Z

## Quick facts
- Aquaponics: $600 million target market growing at 15% per year
- IWF tool replaces one (or more) workers formerly needed to maintain filtration equipment
- Nine years of product development at potential customer sites.
- Independent Testing completed at Fresno State University's International Center for Water Technology.
- Aquaponics farms consume almost no water in line with our goal of saving water
- IWF tool recovers all nutrients from aquaponics systems enhancing secondary income streams
- Patent awarded October 2015; 2 new patents are being written
- Small footprint unit treats large volumes for both biofilter and particulate filtration

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:6416: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)

## FAQ
1. **I hope you are successful for reasons more important than investment return - the water crisis is quite real. I also think that there will be significant money available through government grants and tax incentives to help offset the cost of your product. I have three question...**
   - I wanted to think over how to succinctly answer your inquiry about customer costs. I have an example from one potential customer who spends about $1M on water in a four month processing season. Our system would recover well over 90% of his water for reuse. The capital cost for this installation would be about $200k so his payback is approximately one month. The customer in question does lump together the cost of compliance with basic water costs, besides having his own wells, wetlands and oth...
2. **I really appreciate your thoughtful answers to my questions - very interesting, and also compelling.**
   - Thanks, Alan. I have been doing this for a long time and I am comfortable with knowing the needs of many of my potential customers. I was a plasma etch engineer in semiconductors for most of my adult life and I can say that the manufacturing world has strong demands on its machinery. I designed a machine that would exceed the requirements of any manufacturing or processing environment.
3. **Who is RTE Water? It looks like the patent is assigned to RTE Water. When we invest in IWF, do we also invest in RTE Water and we'll own the patent?**
   - Good question, Craig. RTE Water was the original company organized in 2009. I assigned the patent to RTE. Then when the reorganization was completed early this year one stipulation in the agreement was reassigning the patent to Industry Water Filtration. The reorganization was a purchase of all the assets owned by RTE Water which included the patent. RTE Water is now out of business.
4. **Your pitch desk says the following: "In order to return to those companies that are interested in our technology, we need to have the funding to produce the final manufactured product..." Can't customers pay up front, or at least pay 50% up front to cover COGS? That's a very c...**
   - I wish I could have utilized that approach, Craig. Manufacturing firms, expecially in the Ag industry (our first target industry), require proof of performance before they will do business. Our prototype machines were limited in capability because they are smaller than the finished design and could only prove concept. They did well, exactly as claimed, but we could not get to the point of sale without putting the finished machine on their site and letting it run for a while. In my years in se...
5. **Your balance sheet in the SEC Form C shows no debt as of 11/15/2017. How have you been funding the business up until now?**
   - IWF is very much a startup, as I mentioned before, Craig. We have been funded by friends and family. We have 19 investors, although four are from our founding law firm, so 15 friends and family. My wife and I have put all of our money into the company. I have worked without compensation. Our machinists traded work for stock. Imagine my surprise at seeing the Equity CrowdFunding SEC rules that required me to get an audit of my books. My Balance Sheet has two entries. We have no revenue, no inv...

## Team
- Richard Yanda (President)
- Mark J Stevenson (Advisor)
- Paul T. Rygaard (Vice President, Engineering)

## Q&A
- Q: what happened to the money? and is this still viable
- Q: is this still viable
- Q: Hi, are there any recent updates?
  - A: Hi, Matt,Our next WeFunder funding project is being written right now.  Extensive research has been completed on an upcoming industry called Aquaponics and our machine is highly advantageous for the water treatment portion of these systems.  Our unique design offers a long list of advantages for the aquaponics farmer.Aquaponics is a farm that is isolated from contaminants so the produce grown is pristine.  Fish are raised and the fish waste provides ideal fertilizer for the plants.  After visiting an aquaponics farm I am amazed at how wonderful the produce tastes, all natural, no chemical feeds or insecticides.  So yes, we are focusing on aquaponics.All investors will be getting the information for the next fundraising round.  The coronavirus problem has delayed our work for several months and we are watching the recession closely.  We can move forward as soon as we feel comfortable that we will attract the funding that we need.
- Q: We would like to introduce ourself as a grower, these filters seem like a great addition to the garden. Are you linking any vortex tanks with them? We like what your doing.
- Q: Is this company still in business? I went to the website I had listed, and it is not there.
- Q: Where does this project currently stand?
  - A: We are waiting for estimates to come in for the stainless steel interior parts that will complete the project.  It should not take more than two months to finish.  We have the fiberglass components that constitute the bulk of the machine.We are assembling the materials for another fund raising effort that will start after the first of the year.  We are also working with a consultant to take legal action against the contractor that backed out on the project and cost us most of our reserve funds.  A year-end report will be sent to everyone before the first of the year.The delay of six months was frustrating but we are pushing forward.
- Q: Can you please provide an update? Thanks,
  - A: Hi, Craig,Your update will be coming to you in the next couple of days.  It's being approved by the other principles right now.Rick Yanda
- Q: What's new? Haven't seen any updates in a while.
  - A: Hi, James,We are nearing completion of our first production machine.  Our contractor slowed way down on our work when his busy season started in June.  His big production year starts with the Summer produce harvest in CA.  Our machine is an unusual project for him - not a priority.We have the finished drawings and half of the fiberglass done.  I'm waiting to send out the report to the investors until I have pictures.  We're shipping the machine right out to a customer so I hope to have pictures of the installation, too.Sorry this has taken so long.  We are not happy but can't do anything to speed it up.Rick Yanda
- Q: Will you have another seeding/fundraiser round?
  - A: We will decide in January.  We have a couple of VC sources that are interested but another WeFunder round is probably more advantageous to the company.  It is possible that we can self-fund if the response to our technology is as good as we expect.  Clearly, the door is still open and we will have data to support a decision after we deliver a couple of machines to customers in January.  Please stay in touch.  I hope to find a way for you to invest with us after we are delivering our product next year.  I will consult with WeFunder to find ways to make it happen.Thanks for your interest!  Rick Yanda
- Q: How long does the filter last? Is it rotated by an electric motor or by water pressure? Are these expenses (filter replacement and electricity, if any) included in the "lowest cost per gallon" advantage of the system?
  - A: Hi, Mario, The filter life is highly dependent upon the material being filtered. As I mentioned in the answer to a recent question, filtering dirt in water using our 316 stainless screens, the lifetime is still indefinite. We tested a screen assembly for two years and found no degradation but usage was not continuous; the machine was outside the entire two years, however. The pickle brine, which is highly saline and a medium to strong acid would likely erode the screen in three to six months. Our patented system needs to control the rotation speed of the filter assembly independently of the input flow. We use an off the shelf motor and gearbox, 220V for most customers. 220V is quite inexpensive to run, much cheaper than 110 for these applications. That is one reason why it is universally used by industries. The slow rotation of the filter assembly puts almost no strain on the motor and gearbox. Our sealed bearings are also over-engineered. The machine is designed for industrial use: it runs continuously, 24/7 needing no attention from anyone. PM's are very infrequent, depending on the application. The cost per gallon includes the electricity cost, PM parts replacement, the filter replacement and labor if we contract for the service. We have no choice but to use each customer's materials cost figures and test the filters for lifetime to see how well we do. Fortunately, we do not often run into large departures from neutral pH. The payback cost is separately calculated. It seems more meaningful to us to take the capital cost of the tool and use the customer's own figures for how much our system will save him. It's usually a very short payback time, three to six months.
- Q: Are there regulatory hurdles that impede larger distribution? (legal or statute restrictions)
  - A: Hi, Jason, None that I am aware of. We have to follow the usual safety and design rules, particularly since we're using 220V for most machines at the moment. The rotating filter assembly moves at only about 150 RPM so it's not a centrifuge, meaning it's safer. The challenge will be getting approval to sell to the military. The approvals usually take a year or two to complete. Two of the partners have started businesses that sell products in many states. No surprises with this product, I hope. I will be filing for international patents and export licenses as soon as we get started with manufacturing. I have customers waiting in Canada. I want to begin plans to do business in India, Indonesia and Australia as soon as sales in the US are started. That will introduce more regulations and export laws but I have a partner who has set up exports to these countries in the past. The water regulations are their own control mechanism, so to speak. If I want to process water I will be installing my machine in an already established regulatory world. I know exactly what rules I have to follow. I knew knew that from the start. The EPA rules are fairly consistently mirrored in all states that I am aware of. California is a bit tougher at times. I guess I have to give the existing industry credit for becoming "well established". The regulatory environment is established and fairly consistent from state to state.
- Q: How long do the filters last & what is the cost per filter?
  - A: Hi, Dan, The filters last a very long time for most applications that do not have highly acidic or basic water in process. The filters are 316 stainless steel. We have used filter assemblies for all kinds of testing, even in acidic and saline tests and observed no degredation in two years of occasional use. We anticipate the cost per filter in our larger model to be under $3000.00 but we are not ordering in quantity yet so we hope to drop that cost quickly. The stainless screening is embedded in a plastic matrix that snaps into a receptical making maintenance easy. A large factor in the cost per filter is the pore size. Removing five micron particulates uses a more costly screen than ten microns. The cost increases with decreasing pore size. That being said, it is our understanding that an environment such as pickle brine, even the stainless filters would have to be replaced every three to six months. The stainless components such as pumps and plumbing fixtures are degraded rapidly by the high acid and salt solutions. The cost per gallon is extremely application dependent. Filtering dirt in water at a normal concentration of one-half to one percent solids by weight is the cost of the electricity with a long delay between PM's. The filters have not been tested to failure in this environment yet because they are so robust. It will be pennies per liter with some customers spending less than a cent per liter. The initial cost of the tool is paid back in a little as three to six months. Chemically reactive solutions degrade the filters more quickly and may run up the payback time to one year.
- Q: I too live in FL and hate algae blooms and I hope that you can can get meetings with officials that care about cleaning up our water. My question is about rainwater collection and appealing to the "off-grid" market. Can your tech recycle rain water, grey water, black water, or be attached to a tiny house for the people that cannot afford a well or want to be mobile? Second part: Have you considered teaming up with established water charities for the same reasons listed above because getting a drill rig up a mountain, through the jungle, etc is quite expensive and helping these places maximize their water use is just as important as helping Americans curb their water waste.
  - A: Hi, Jeff, Good questions. My sister lives in FL, too. Algae blooms are a big deal in many places today for many reasons. Our tech is part of systems to remove the algae. We have plans to expand into the areas you have mentioned as the company grows. The second phase of technology development will include smaller units coupled with a UV unit for purification (as appropriate). Down the line, I hope to partner with companies that remove the chemical pollutants, too. Just improving the physical filtration aspect of water processing will keep us busy. But we will gladly sell tools to those other folks!
  - A: Forgot to mention that one of our partners has a history with swimming pool maintenance companies. We have a design for a unit that will save water for that job; the unit could be coupled with gray water systems in homes. I will be playing the municipal wastewater market by ear. I have associates in that area but a company has to be a bit mature for the big design firms to incorporate their systems into the big designs. We do hope to join shipping container systems that are being used for black water processing in remote areas. Lots to do!
- Q: When will the round close?
  - A: Hi, Matt, We have until the end of June to make it to $50k. I'm uploading a video to YouTube later today that I hope will help boost visibility. We're getting close.
- Q: In Florida we have a huge problem with sugar cane farms dumping polluted waste water which ends up in lake okechobee which in return gets funneled out our canals to the riversand eventually the ocean. Causing many problems with our waterways. Can your system be useful in curbing the pollution that ends up in our waterways?
  - A: Hi, Cody, Yes, our machine is used as part of a wastewater recovery/cleaning system. The first step in any water treatment process is filtration. The purification treatment is usually degraded by high particulate counts. Even though our system does not perform any chemical processes, the removal of very fine particles, down to the five micron size, greatly improves the overall performance of purification systems. Also, the fine particles always have some of the unpleasant biologicals and chemicals stuck to their surfaces. So our machine contributes to the removal of contaminants of all types.