RISK FACTORS

         Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks, together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks or uncertainties. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business

General global economic and business conditions may materially adversely affect demand for our products, services and solutions.

        We compete in various end markets and geographic regions around the world. Among these, the most significant are global industrial markets and municipal markets. In fiscal 2017, 86% and 14% of our revenue was from customers located in the United States and Canada and in other markets, respectively. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, fluctuations in revenues and operating results due to economic and business cycles. Important factors for our businesses and the businesses of our customers, both in the United States and abroad, include local and global macroeconomic conditions, the overall strength of and our customers' confidence in the economy, industrial and governmental capital spending, governmental fiscal and trading policies, global environmental and regulatory policies, the strength of the residential and commercial real estate markets, unemployment rates, consumer spending, availability of financing, interest rates, tax rates and changes in tax laws, political conditions and energy and commodity prices. The businesses of many of our industrial customers are, to varying degrees, cyclical, and have experienced periodic downturns. While we attempt to minimize our exposure to economic or market fluctuations by serving a balanced mix of end markets and geographic regions, any of the above factors, individually or in the aggregate, or a significant or sustained downturn in a specific end market or geographic region, could materially reduce demand for our products, services and solutions.

        Levels of municipal spending may particularly impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Reduced tax revenue in certain regions, or inability to access traditional sources of credit, may limit spending and new development by municipalities or local governmental agencies, which in turn may materially adversely affect the demand for our solutions and reduce our revenue.

Failure to compete successfully in our markets could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        We offer our products, services and solutions in highly competitive markets. We believe the principal points of competition in our markets are product performance, reliability and innovation of our solutions, application expertise and process knowledge, brand reputation, energy and water efficiency, product compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements, product lifecycle cost, scalability, timeliness of delivery, proximity of service centers to our customers, effectiveness of our distribution channels and price. Maintaining and improving our competitive position will require successful management of these factors, including continued investment by us in research and development, engineering, marketing, customer service and support and our distribution networks. Our future growth rate depends upon our ability to compete successfully, which is impacted by a number of factors, including our ability to (i) identify emerging technological trends in our target end markets, (ii) develop and maintain a wide range of competitive and appropriately priced products, services and solutions and defend our market share against an ever-expanding number of competitors including many new and non-traditional competitors, (iii) enhance our products by adding innovative and, where applicable, patented features that differentiate our products from those of our competitors and prevent

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commoditization of our products, (iv) develop, manufacture, bring to market and drive commercial acceptance of compelling new products quickly and cost-effectively, (v) ensure that our products, services and solutions remain cost-competitive and (vi) attract, develop and retain individuals with the requisite technical expertise and understanding of customers' needs to develop and sell new technologies and products.

        We operate in markets that are characterized by customer demand that is often broad in scope but localized in delivery. We compete with companies that may be better positioned to capitalize on highly localized relationships and knowledge that are difficult for us to replicate. Our potential customers may prefer local suppliers, in some cases because of existing relationships and in other cases because of local legal restrictions or incentives that favor local businesses. Smaller regional suppliers may also have lower cost structures. As a result, efforts to expand or support our service network may not improve our ability to penetrate new local markets or expand our footprint in existing markets.

        Further, many of our customers actively monitor and review our company-wide safety record, and apply rigorous safety standards to us and our competitors. Although we take precautions to prevent workplace accidents and mechanical failures, such incidents are difficult to predict and may be outside of our control. If we are unable to meet our customers' stringent workplace safety standards, or if our customers perceive us to have a poor safety record, it could materially impact our ability to retain their business or attract new business.

        We may not be successful in maintaining our competitive position for a number of reasons. We may fail to identify optimal vertical or geographic markets, focus our attention in suboptimal vertical or geographic markets or fail to execute an appropriate business model in certain vertical or geographic markets. As we continue to grow, we may not be able to manage our business as efficiently as we have historically. Our competitors may develop disruptive technologies or products that are superior to our products, develop more efficient or effective methods of providing products and services or adapt more quickly than we do to new technologies or evolving customer requirements. The failure of our technologies or products to gain market acceptance due to more attractive offerings by our competitors could significantly reduce our revenues and materially adversely affect our competitive standing or prospects. Pricing pressures also could cause us to adjust the prices of certain products to stay competitive, which could materially adversely affect our margins and overall financial performance. Failure to continue competing successfully or to win business with our existing customers could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Our future growth is dependent upon our ability to continue to develop or acquire new products, services and solutions and adapt our businesses to meet the demands of our customers, comply with changes to government regulations and achieve market acceptance with acceptable margins.

        Our future success depends upon a number of factors, including our ability to adapt our products, services and solutions to fit localities throughout our end markets, particularly in high growth emerging markets, such as China; identify emerging technological and other trends in our target end markets; and develop or acquire competitive products and services and bring them to market quickly and cost-effectively. If we are unable to continue to differentiate our products, services and solutions, or if we are forced to cut prices to remain competitive, our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

        We are also impacted by changing technology, competitively imposed process and safety standards and regulatory requirements, particularly under environmental regulations, each of which influences the demand for our products, services and solutions. Advances in technology and changes in industrial specifications or in legislative, regulatory and environmental requirements, including the availability of intellectual property protections in various jurisdictions, may render certain of our products, services and solutions obsolete.

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        In addition, our industrial and municipal customers have made considerable fixed-cost investments in the installation of their water and wastewater treatment products and systems, and our municipal customers are often subject to stringent appropriation requirements and extensive procurement processes. The replacement of our customers' installed products and systems with the new technologies that we develop could entail significant costs to such customers. Further, many of our potential customers engage and rely on engineering firms to recommend and select products and systems for their facilities, and many of our products are sold to OEMs as components of larger systems. Our inability to persuade our customers or other parties to adopt the technologies we develop could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Our growth strategy includes acquisitions, and we may not be able to identify suitable acquisition targets or otherwise successfully implement our growth strategy.

        Acquisitions have historically been a significant part of our growth strategy, and we expect to continue to grow through acquisitions in the future. We expect to continue evaluating potential strategic acquisitions of businesses, assets and product lines. We may not be able to identify suitable candidates, negotiate appropriate or favorable acquisition terms, obtain financing that may be needed to consummate such transactions or complete proposed acquisitions. There is significant competition for acquisition and expansion opportunities in our businesses.

        In addition, acquisitions involve numerous risks, including (i) incurring the time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions and negotiating potential transactions, resulting in management's attention being diverted from the operation of our existing business; (ii) using inaccurate estimates and judgments to evaluate credit, operations, funding, liquidity, business, management and market risks with respect to the target institution or assets; (iii) litigation relating to an acquisition, particularly in the context of a publicly held acquisition target, that could require us to incur significant expenses, result in management's attention being diverted from the operation of our existing business or delay or enjoin the transaction; (iv) failing to properly identify an acquisition candidate's liabilities, potential liabilities or risks; and (v) not receiving required regulatory approvals or such approvals being delayed or restrictively conditional. In addition, in connection with any acquisitions, we must comply with various antitrust requirements. It is possible that perceived or actual violations of these requirements could give rise to regulatory enforcement action or result in us not receiving the necessary approvals to complete a desired acquisition.

        We routinely evaluate potential acquisition candidates and engage in discussions and negotiations regarding potential acquisitions; however, even if we execute a definitive agreement for an acquisition, there can be no assurance that we will consummate the transaction within the anticipated closing timeframe, or at all. Further, acquisitions typically involve the payment of a premium over book- and market-values and, therefore, some dilution of our tangible book value and earnings per common share may occur in connection with any future transaction.

We may have difficulty in operating or integrating any acquired businesses, assets or product lines profitably or in otherwise successfully implementing our growth strategy.

        The anticipated benefits from any potential acquisitions may not be achieved unless the operations of the acquired business assets or product lines are successfully integrated in an efficient, effective and timely manner. The integration of our acquisitions will require substantial attention from management and operating personnel to ensure that the acquisition does not disrupt any existing operations, or affect our customers' opinions and perceptions of our services, products or customer support.

        In addition, the integration of any acquisition includes numerous risks, including an acquired business not performing to our expectations, our not integrating it appropriately, failure to realize anticipated synergies and cost savings and difficulties, inefficiencies or cost overruns in integrating and assimilating the organizational cultures, operations, technologies, data, services and products of the

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acquired business with ours. For example, we are currently migrating the operating and accounting systems of certain of our recently acquired businesses to our existing SAP platform, which could disrupt those portions of our business.

        The process of integrating acquired businesses, assets and product lines, including as noted above, could cause the interruption of, or delays in, the operation of our existing business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Acquisitions also place a burden on our information, financial and operating systems and our employees and management. Our ability to manage our growth effectively and integrate the operations of acquired businesses, assets or product lines, will require us to continue to attract, train, motivate, manage and retain key employees and to expand our information technology, operational and financial systems. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, we may spend time and resources on such acquisitions that do not ultimately increase our profitability or that cause loss of, or harm to, relationships with employees and customers.

Delays in enactment or repeals of environmental laws and regulations may make our products, services and solutions less economically beneficial to our customers, thereby affecting demand for our products, services and solutions.

        Our products, services and solutions assist various industries and municipalities in meeting stringent environmental and safety requirements enacted for the purpose of making water cleaner and safer. Our future growth is dependent on the impact and timing of potential new water laws and regulations, as well as potential changes to existing laws and regulations, including the potential impact of environmental policies of the new Presidential administration installed in the United States in January of 2017. If stricter laws or regulations are delayed or are not enacted, or repealed or amended to be less strict, or enacted with prolonged phase-in periods, or not enforced, demand for our products and services may be reduced. For example, in response to Presidential Executive Order 13777, calling on each federal agency to establish a regulatory reform task force and evaluate existing rules and recommend repeal, replacement or modification to reduce regulatory burdens, the U.S. EPA established a task force and initiated reviews in several program areas. The U.S. EPA's Office of Water conducted such a review, soliciting public comments in the spring of 2017, including hosting a public listening session, seeking proposals for Office of Water rules that could be repealed, replaced or modified to make them less burdensome. We are currently unable to predict whether changes to statutes and rules which occur will affect demand for our products and services. To the extent that such changes have a negative impact on us, including as a result of related uncertainty, these changes may materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

If we become subject to claims relating to handling, storage, release or disposal of hazardous materials, we could incur significant cost and time to comply.

        Our business activities, including our manufacturing processes and waste recycling and treatment processes, currently involve the use, treatment, storage, transfer, handling and/or disposal of hazardous materials, chemicals and wastes. These activities create a risk of significant environmental liabilities and reputational damage. Under applicable environmental laws and regulations, we could be strictly, jointly and severally liable for releases of regulated substances by us at our current or former properties or the properties of others or by other businesses that previously owned or used our current or former properties, including if such releases result in contamination of air, water or soil, or cause harm to individuals. We could also be liable or incur reputational damage if we merely generate hazardous materials or wastes, or arrange for their transportation, disposal or treatment, or we transport such materials, and they are subsequently released or cause harm, or if some other entity conducted such activities and by virtue of an acquisition, under applicable law we are a successor to that entity.

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        Our business activities also create a risk of contamination or injury to our employees, customers or third parties, from the use, treatment, storage, transfer, handling and/or disposal of these materials, and these activities could result in accidental contamination or injury to the general public, as end-users of our industrial and municipal customers' products and services.

        In the event that our business activities result in environmental liabilities, such as those described above, we could incur significant costs or reputational damage in connection with the investigation and remediation of environmental contamination, and we could be liable for any resulting damages including natural resource damages. Such liabilities could exceed our available cash or any applicable insurance coverage we may have. Additionally, we are subject to, on an ongoing basis, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. The cost of compliance with these laws and regulations may become significant and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Further, we may incur costs to defend our position even if we are not liable for consequences arising out of a release of or exposure to a hazardous substance or waste, or other environmental damage. Our insurance policies may not be sufficient to cover the costs of such claims.

Failure to retain our existing senior management, skilled technical, engineering, sales and other key personnel or the inability to attract and retain new qualified personnel could materially adversely impact our ability to operate or grow our business.

        Our success depends to a significant extent on our ability to retain or attract a significant number of employees in senior management, skilled technical, engineering, sales and other key personnel. Since the Acquisition, we have focused on creating a high performance culture, in which our employees are highly enabled, empowered and accountable. Our inability to continue to develop and maintain our culture by empowering our senior management, other leaders and employees and promoting an entrepreneurial spirit, could result in our loss of key leaders and employees and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Effective succession planning is also important to our long-term success, as a failure to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and smooth transitions involving key employees could hinder our strategic planning and execution. We have implemented a voluntary separation program intended to mitigate the risks associated with knowledge transfer, but we cannot guarantee that it will be effective or cost-efficient.

        We will need to continue to develop a roster of qualified talent to support business growth. Without a sufficient number of skilled employees, our operations and manufacturing quality could suffer. Our experienced sales team has also developed a number of meaningful customer relationships that would be difficult to replace. Therefore, competition for qualified technical personnel and for sales personnel with established customer relationships is intense, both in retaining our existing employees and in replacing or finding additional suitable employees. There can be no assurance that the labor pool from which we hire our personnel will increase or remain stable, and any failure to retain our existing technical and sales personnel and other employees or to attract additional skilled personnel could have a material adverse effect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Product defects and unanticipated or improper use of our products could adversely affect our business, reputation and financial statements.

        Manufacturing or design defects in (including in products or components that we source from third parties), unanticipated or improper use of, or inadequate disclosure of risks relating to the use of our products, services and solutions by our customers or third parties could create product safety, regulatory or other risks, including personal injury, death or property damage. These events could lead to recalls or safety alerts relating to our products, result in the removal of a product from the market

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and result in product liability claims being brought against us. Recalls, removals and product liability claims can result in significant costs, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation that could reduce demand for our products and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Further, it is generally our responsibility to service the equipment we provide our customers throughout the duration of our contract with such customers, and our customers may be required to maintain insurance covering loss, damage or injury caused by our equipment. However, we are not able to monitor our customers' use or maintenance of their water systems or their compliance with our contracts or usage instructions. Customers' failure to properly use, maintain or safeguard their equipment or customers' noncompliance with insurance requirements may reflect poorly on us as the provider of such equipment and, as a result, damage our reputation.

We may incur liabilities to customers as a result of warranty claims or failure to meet performance guarantees, which could reduce our profitability.

        Our customers typically require product warranties as to the proper operation and conformance to specifications of the products we manufacture or install and performance guarantees as to any effluent produced by our equipment and services. Failure of our products to operate properly or to meet specifications of our customers or our failure to meet our performance guarantees may increase costs by requiring additional engineering resources and services, replacement of parts and equipment and frequent replacement of consumables or monetary reimbursement to a customer or could otherwise result in liability to our customers. We have in the past received warranty claims, and we expect to continue to receive them in the future. There are significant uncertainties and judgments involved in estimating warranty and performance guarantee obligations, including changing product designs, differences in customer installation processes and failure to identify or disclaim certain variables in a customer's influent. To the extent that we incur substantial warranty or performance guarantee claims in any period, our reputation, earnings and ability to obtain future business could be materially adversely affected.

We may be unable to bid on or enter into significant long-term agreements if we are not able to obtain letters of credit, bank guarantees or surety bonds, and our liquidity may be adversely affected by bonding requirements.

        A portion of our business, including our water treatment projects and solutions, requires us to provide letters of credit, bank guarantees or surety bonds in support of our commitments and as part of the terms and conditions on water treatment projects. In addition, we are required to provide letters of credit or surety bonds to the department of environmental protection or equivalent in some states in order to maintain our licenses to handle hazardous waste at certain of our regeneration facilities. We have in the past been, and may in the future be, required to provide bid bonds or performance bonds to secure our performance under these construction-type customer arrangements or, in some cases, as a pre-requisite to submit a bid on a potential project.

        Current or future market conditions, as well as changes in surety companies' assessment of our operating and financial risk, could cause our surety providers and lenders to decline to issue or renew, or substantially reduce the amount of, bid or performance bonds for our work, and could increase our costs associated with collateral. These actions could be taken on short notice. Our inability to obtain adequate bonding or letters of credit to meet bid requirements or enter into significant long-term agreements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Further, surety companies may require that we collateralize a percentage of the bond with cash or another form of credit enhancement. Some of our customers also require collateral guarantees in the form of letters of credit to secure performance or to fund possible damages as the result of an event of

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default under our contracts with them. If we enter into significant long-term agreements that require the issuance of letters of credit, our liquidity could be negatively impacted.

Our inability to meet our customers' safety standards or adverse publicity affecting our reputation as a result of incidents such as workplace accidents, mechanical failures, spills, uncontrolled discharges, damage to customer or third-party property or the transmission of contaminants or diseases could have a material adverse effect on our sales and profitability.

        Maintaining a strong and reliable reputation for safety is critical to our business. Many of our customers actively monitor and review our company-wide safety record. Further, reports and media coverage of incidents, such as those involving workplace accidents, mechanical failures, spills, uncontrolled discharges, damage to customer or third-party property, the transmission of contaminants or diseases and other adverse events can result in negative publicity, and considerable expansion in the use of social media over recent years has increased the ways in which our reputation can be impacted, and the speed with which such an impact can occur. Such incidents, or reports thereof, could lead to a negative perception among our customers, prospective customers and the general public regarding the safety or quality of our products, services and solutions, and anything that damages our reputation or our customers' perception of our safety record, whether or not justified, could have a materially adverse impact on demand for our products and services, result in additional costs to our business or the loss of customers, result in litigation against us or increase government or regulatory oversight over us.

        Our products and facilities are subject to risks involving workplace accidents, mechanical failures spills, uncontrolled discharges and damage to customer or third-party property, including, among other things, personal injury or death caused by our products or occurring in our facilities, the destruction of customer or third-party property during the execution of a service arrangement or due to the malfunction of our products, delays in or suspension of service or the failure to timely deliver our products. A workplace accident, mechanical failure, spill, uncontrolled discharge or any problem involving any one or more of our products or facilities, or any perceived insufficiency in our response to any such deficiency or problem, could materially adversely affect our reputation. Many of our customers actively monitor and review our company-wide safety record, and apply rigorous safety standards to us and our competitors. Although we take precautions to prevent workplace accidents and mechanical failures, such incidents are difficult to predict and may be outside of our control. If we are unable to meet our customers' stringent workplace safety standards or, if our customers perceive us to have a poor safety record, it could materially impact our ability to retain their business or attract new business.

        Water may be subject to contaminants, including hazardous chemicals, or pathogens that cause a number of illnesses, including cholera, typhoid fever, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, amoebiasis and free living amoebic infections. Such contaminants or pathogens may be found in the environment, and, as a result, there is a risk that they could become present in water treated using our systems or products. Illness and death may result if such contaminants or pathogens are not eliminated during the treatment process. In particular, such contamination could result from failing to properly treat reusable products before they are distributed to our customers, or from actions taken by our customers or other third parties using our products, which could result in material liability. Further, any pandemic or other public health crisis, including those involving non-waterborne illnesses, might adversely impact our business by diminishing the public trust in water and wastewater treatment facilities or by causing customers to seek sources of water other than those processed using our systems or products. The potential impact of a contamination of water treated using our products, services or solutions is difficult to predict and could lead to an increased risk of exposure to product liability claims, increased scrutiny by federal and state regulatory agencies and negative publicity. Further, an outbreak of disease in any one of the municipal markets we serve could result in a widespread loss of customers across other such markets.

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Our operations are subject to various hazards that may cause personal injury or property damage and increase our operating costs, and which may exceed the coverage of our insurance or for which we are not insured.

        There are inherent risks to our operations. We are exposed to risks posed by severe weather and other natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. In addition to natural risks, hazards (such as fire, explosion, collapse or machinery failure) are inherent risks in our operations which may occur as a result of inadequate internal processes, technological flaws, human error or certain events beyond our control. We further utilize approximately 650 vehicles in connection with our offsite services and distribution operations and, from time to time, these drivers are involved in accidents which may cause injuries, spills or uncontrolled discharges and in which goods carried by these drivers may be lost or damaged. The hazards described above can cause significant personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, plants and equipment, including customer or third-party property, contamination of, or damage to, the environment and suspension of operations. The occurrence of any of these events may result in our being subject to investigation, required to perform remediation or named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting claims for substantial damages, environmental cleanup costs, personal injury, natural resource damages and fines or penalties. As a result, we may from time to time become exposed to significant liabilities for which we may not have adequate insurance coverage. We may also become exposed to certain claims that are excluded from our insurance coverage, such as claims of fraud or for punitive damages. Although we have liability insurance, we cannot be certain that this insurance coverage will continue to be available to us at a reasonable cost or will be adequate to cover any product liability claims. In addition, such events may affect the availability of personnel, proper functioning of our information technology infrastructure and availability of third parties on whom we rely, any of which consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Significant or prolonged disruptions in the supply of goods or services from third parties could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        We are dependent on a continuing flow of goods and services from suppliers to provide our products, services and solutions to our customers. A disruption or prolonged delays in obtaining supplies or services, including, for example, chemicals, electricity or other materials, could materially adversely affect our ability to provide our products, services and solutions to our customers, and our ability to operate in compliance with all regulatory requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. In certain circumstances, we rely on third parties to provide certain important services and a disruption in these services could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Some possible reasons for a delay or disruption in the supply of important goods and services include:

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our suppliers may not provide materials that meet our specifications in sufficient quantities;



•

our suppliers may face production delays due to natural disasters, strikes, lock-outs or other such events;



•

one or more suppliers could make strategic changes in the lines of products and services they offer; and



•

some of our suppliers, such as small companies, may be more likely to experience financial and operational difficulties than larger, well-established companies, because of their limited financial and other resources.

        As a result of any of these, or other, factors, we may be required to find alternative suppliers for the materials and services on which we rely. Accordingly, we may experience delays in obtaining appropriate materials and services on a timely basis and in sufficient quantities from such alternative

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suppliers at a reasonable price, which could interrupt services to our customers and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

The loss of, or disruption in, our ability to efficiently operate our distribution network could have a material adverse impact on our business.

        We rely on the orderly operation of our receiving and distribution process, which depends on our distribution system, adherence to shipping schedules and effective management of our distribution network. If complications arise with our distribution system or if our shipping or storage facilities (or a significant portion of inventory located there) is severely damaged or destroyed, our ability to receive and deliver our products on a timely basis will be significantly impaired. There can be no assurance that disruptions in operations due to natural or man-made disasters, fire, flooding, terrorism or other catastrophic events, system failure, labor disagreements or shipping problems will not result in delays in the delivery of our products to our customers. Such delays could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. In addition, we could incur significantly higher costs and longer lead times associated with distributing our products to our customers during the time it takes for us to reopen or replace our facilities. Moreover, our business interruption insurance may not be adequate to cover or compensate us for any losses that may occur.

        We rely upon various means of transportation through third parties, including shipments by air, sea, rail and truck, to deliver products to our facilities from vendors and from our facilities to our customers, as well as for direct shipments from vendors to customers. Labor shortages or capacity constraints in the transportation industry, disruptions to the national and international transportation infrastructure, fuel shortages or transportation cost increases (such as increases in fuel costs or port fees) could materially adversely affect our business and operating results.

We rely, in part, on third-party sales representatives to assist in selling our products, services and solutions and the failure of these representatives to perform as expected could reduce our future sales.

        Sales of our products, services and solutions to some of our customers, including to OEMs, are accomplished, in part, through the efforts of third-party sales representatives. We are unable to predict the extent to which these third-party sales representatives will be successful in marketing and selling our products. Moreover, many of these third-party sales representatives also market and sell competing products and may more aggressively pursue sales of our competitors' products. Our third-party sales representatives may terminate their relationships with us at any time on short or no notice. Our future performance may also depend, in part, on our ability to attract, incentivize and retain additional third-party sales representatives that will be able to market and support our products effectively, especially in markets in which we have not previously sold our products. If we cannot retain our current third-party sales representatives or recruit additional or replacement third-party sales representatives or if these sales representatives are not effective, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Our products, services and solutions, or our participation in large-scale projects, could expose us to litigation, regulatory or enforcement actions and reputational risk.

        We are subject to various laws, ordinances, regulations and other requirements of government authorities in foreign countries and in the United States, any violation of which could potentially create substantial liability for us. Changes in laws, ordinances, regulations or other government policies, the nature, timing and effect of which are uncertain, may significantly increase our expenses and liabilities.

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        From time to time, we are involved in lawsuits that arise from our business. Litigation may, for example, relate to product liability claims, personal injury, property damage, accidents, regulatory issues, contract disputes or employment matters. We may face claims that are broader than the scope of our involvement on a project, including claims that seek to impose liability on us for an entire solution or system for which we provided only limited components.

        The occurrence of any of these matters could also create possible damage to our reputation. The defense and ultimate outcome of lawsuits against us may result in higher operating expenses. Higher operating expenses or reputational damage could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        It is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of claims, investigations and lawsuits, and we could in the future incur judgments, fines or penalties or enter into settlements of lawsuits and claims that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects in any particular period. Additionally, we may be required to change or cease operations at one or more facilities if a regulatory agency determines that we have failed to comply with laws, regulations or orders applicable to our business.

A number of factors may prevent or delay our building new plants, expanding our existing plants or installing equipment at our customers' facilities, including our dependence on third-party suppliers and construction companies.

        A number of factors may prevent or delay construction, expansion or use of our facilities or installation of our equipment at our customers' facilities, including our dependence on third-party suppliers of equipment and materials, our dependence on third-party construction companies and the timing of equipment purchases.

        Further, we enter into contracts for customers regarding long-term engineering, procurement and construction projects. If a construction company we have commissioned to build a new project defaults or fails to fulfill its contractual obligations, we could face significant delays and cost overruns. Any construction delays could have a material adverse impact on us.

        The timing of equipment purchases can pose financial risks to us. We attempt to make purchases of equipment and/or material as needed. However, from time to time, there may be excess demand for certain types of equipment with substantial delays between the time we place orders and receive delivery. In those instances, to avoid construction delays, service disruptions or liquidated damages associated with the inability to own and place such equipment or materials into service when needed, we may place orders well in advance of deployment or when actual damage to the equipment or materials occurs. Thus, there is a risk that at the time of delivery of such equipment or materials, there may not yet be a need to use them; however, we are still required to accept delivery and make payment. In addition, due to the customization of some of our equipment or materials, there may be a limited market for resale of such equipment or material. This can result in our incurrence of material equipment and/or material costs, with no use for or ability to resell such equipment.

Our financial results may fluctuate from period to period and can be difficult to predict.

        Our financial results may be impacted by large projects, the timing of which can change based upon customer requirements due to a number of factors affecting the project, such as funding, readiness of the project and regulatory approvals. Further, the cancellation of any such large projects may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. In addition, of our contracts for large capital water treatment projects, systems and solutions for municipal and industrial applications are generally fixed-price contracts with milestone billings. Additionally, competitive-bid processes impose significant uncertainty with respect to our prospects for

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success, and our failure to properly predict our win rate could reduce our margins. Accordingly, our financial results for any given period may fluctuate and can be difficult to predict.

        Further, our capital expenditures for any given fiscal year may exceed our initial forecasts and may vary substantially if we are required to undertake certain actions to comply with new regulatory requirements or compete with new technologies. We may not have the capital to undertake the capital investments. If we are unable to do so, we may not be able to effectively compete.

Seasonality of sales and weather conditions may adversely affect, or cause volatility in, our financial results.

        We experience seasonal demand in a number of our markets, as demand for infrastructure and municipal products and projects follows warm weather trends. Seasonal effects may vary from year to year and are impacted by weather patterns, particularly by temperatures, heavy flooding and droughts.

        Additionally, our operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by severe weather, natural disasters, environmental factors, terrorist or other deliberate attacks or hazards (such as fire, explosion or mechanical failure) resulting from inadequate internal processes, technical flaws, human error or other circumstances. Repercussions of these catastrophic events may include:

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shutting down or curtailing the operation of affected plants and facilities for limited or extended periods;



•

shutting down or curtailing the operations of our customers permanently or for limited or extended periods, which may result in a decrease in our revenue;



•

the need to obtain necessary equipment or supplies, including electricity, which may not be available to us in a timely manner or at a reasonable cost;



•

evacuation of or injury to personnel;



•

damage or catastrophic loss to our equipment, facilities and project work sites, resulting in suspension of operations or delays in building or maintaining our plants;



•

loss of productivity;



•

interruption to any projects that we may have in process; and



•

harm to our brand and reputation.

Government customers involve unique policy-, contract- and performance-related risks, and we may face challenges to our government contracts or our eligibility to serve government customers, any of which could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        We derive, and expect to continue to derive in the future, a substantial portion of our revenues from government customers. Sales to governments and related entities present risks in addition to those involved in sales to industrial and other customers, including policy-related risks such as potential disruption due to appropriation and spending patterns, delays in the adoption of new technologies due to political, fiscal or bureaucratic processes, delays in approving budgets and the government's right to cancel contracts and purchase orders for its convenience. General political and economic conditions, which we cannot accurately predict, also directly and indirectly affect policies relating to the quantity and allocation of expenditures by government customers. In addition, government contracts may involve long purchase and payment cycles, competitive bidding requirements, qualification requirements, delays or changes in agreed-to funding, budgetary constraints, political agendas, extensive specification development and price negotiations, milestone requirements and the potential unenforceability of limitations on liability or other contractual provisions, any of which may create price pressure and reduce our margins. Because our water treatment projects and solutions for municipal customers often

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include fixed-price contracts with milestone billings and liquidated damages for our delay, our performance under such contracts involves risks such as not receiving payments, not receiving payments in a timely manner or incurring significant damages if certain milestones are not met or not met on schedule. As a result, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Each government entity also maintains its own rules and regulations with which we must comply and which can vary significantly among customers. We face risks associated with the failure to comply with such rules and regulations. These risks include bid protests, in which our competitors could challenge the contracts we have obtained, or suspension, debarment or similar ineligibility from serving government customers. Challenges to our current or future government contracts or to our eligibility to serve government customers could result in a loss of government sales and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Our contracts with federal, state and local governments may be terminated or adversely modified prior to completion, which could adversely affect our business.

        Government contracts generally contain provisions, and are subject to laws and regulations, that give the government rights and remedies not typically found in commercial contracts, including provisions permitting the government to:

•

terminate our existing contracts;



•

reduce potential future revenues from our existing contracts;



•

modify some of the terms and conditions in our existing contracts;



•

suspend or permanently prohibit us from doing business with the government or with any specific government agency;



•

impose fines and penalties;



•

subject us to criminal prosecution or debarment;



•

subject the award of some contracts to protest or challenge by competitors, which may require the contracting agency or department to suspend our performance pending the outcome of the protest or challenge and which may also require the government to solicit new bids for the contract or result in the termination, reduction or modification of the awarded contract;



•

suspend work under existing multiple year contracts and related task orders if the necessary funds are not appropriated by the U.S. Congress or state or local legislatures;



•

decline to exercise an option to extend an existing multiple year contract; and



•

claim rights in technologies and systems invented, developed or produced by us.

        The government may terminate a contract with us either for convenience (for instance, due to a change in its perceived needs or its desire to consolidate work under another contract) or if we default by failing to perform under the contract. Upon a termination for convenience, we are generally able to recover the purchase price for delivered items and reimbursement of allowable work-in-process costs. If the government terminates a contract with us based upon our default, we generally would be denied any recovery for undelivered work, and instead may be liable for excess costs incurred by the government in procuring undelivered items from an alternative source and other damages as authorized by law. We may in the future receive show-cause or cure notices under contracts that, if not addressed to the government's satisfaction, could give the government the right to terminate those contracts for default or to cease procuring our services under those contracts.

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The cost of complying with complex governmental regulations applicable to our business, sanctions resulting from non-compliance or reduced demand resulting from certain changes in regulations could increase our operating costs and reduce our profit.

        Our operations are subject to various licensing, permitting, approval and reporting requirements imposed by federal, state, local and foreign laws. Our operations are subject to inspection and regulation by various governmental agencies, including the U.S. EPA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and equivalent state and local agencies, as well as their counterparts in various states and foreign countries. A major risk inherent in our operations is the need to obtain and renew permits from federal, state and local authorities. Delays in obtaining permits, the failure to obtain a permit or a renewal permit for a project, challenges to our permits by local communities, citizen groups, landowners or others opposed to their issuance or the issuance of a permit with unreasonable conditions or costs could limit our ability to effectively provide our services. We are also required to secure and maintain licenses required by several states which can take a significant amount of time and result in our inability or delays in our ability to bid on and execute certain projects. If we fail to secure or maintain any such licenses or if states place burdensome restrictions or limitations on our ability to obtain or maintain such licenses, we may not be able to operate in such states and our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects may be materially adversely affected as a result.

        Our business may be further impacted by changes in federal, state and local requirements that set forth air and wastewater discharge parameters, constrain water availability and set quality and treatment standards. Our failure or inability to comply with the stringent standards set forth by regulating entities or to provide cost-effective and compliant design and construction solutions could result in fines or other penalties, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Foreign, federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations impose substantial compliance requirements on our operations. Our operating costs could be significantly increased in order to comply with new or stricter regulatory standards imposed by foreign, federal and state environmental agencies.

        Our operations, products and services are governed by various foreign, federal, state and local environmental protection and health and safety laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act in the United States, the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals, or REACH, directive in Europe, and similar foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations and permits issued under these laws by the foreign, federal, state and local environmental and health and safety regulatory agencies. These laws and regulations establish, among other things, criteria and standards for drinking water and for discharges into the waters of the United States and its states, for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste and for protection of public and worker health and safety. Pursuant to these laws, we are required to obtain various environmental permits from environmental regulatory agencies for our operations. We cannot assure you that our operations, products or services will be at all times in total compliance with these laws, regulations and permits or that we will be able to obtain or renew all required permits. If we violate or fail to comply with these laws, regulations or permits, we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by regulators and be subject to lawsuits, civil or criminal, seeking enforcement and/or injunctive relief. We may also be subject to civil claims by citizens groups seeking to enforce environmental laws. In the event of an accident or if we otherwise fail to comply with applicable regulations, we could lose our permits or approvals and/or be held liable for damages and monetary penalties.

        Environmental laws and regulations are complex and change frequently. These laws, and the enforcement thereof, have tended to become more stringent over time. It is possible that new standards

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could be imposed, either stricter or more lenient, that could result in the obsolescence of our products or lead to an interruption or suspension of our operations and have a material adverse effect on the productivity and profitability of a particular manufacturing facility, service or product or on us as a whole.

Wastewater operations entail significant risks that may impose significant costs.

        Wastewater treatment involves various unique risks. If our treatment systems fail or do not operate properly, or if there is a spill, untreated or partially treated wastewater could discharge onto property or into nearby streams and rivers, causing various damages and injuries, including environmental damage. These risks are most acute during periods of substantial rainfall or flooding, which are the main causes of sewer overflow and system failure. Liabilities resulting from such damages and injuries could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        These risks could be increased by the potential physical impacts of climate change on our operations. The physical impacts of climate change are highly uncertain and would vary depending on geographical location, but could include changing temperatures, water shortages, changes in weather and rainfall patterns and changing storm patterns and intensities. Many climate change predictions, if true, present several potential challenges to water and wastewater service providers, such as increased precipitation and flooding, potential degradation of water quality and changes in demand for water services.

Failure to comply with applicable anti-corruption and trade laws, regulations and policies, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, could result in fines and criminal penalties, causing a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Due to our global operations, we are subject to regulation under a wide variety of U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. laws, regulations and policies related to anti-corruption and trade, including those related to export and import compliance, anti-trust and money laundering. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government officials or other persons for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The International Traffic in Arms Regulations generally require export licenses from the U.S. Department of State for goods, technical data and services sent outside the United States that have military or strategic applications. The Export Administration Regulations regulate the export of certain "dual use" goods, software and technologies, and in some cases requires export licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Office of Foreign Asset Control regulations implement various sanctions programs that include prohibitions of restrictions on dealings with certain sanctioned countries, governments, entities and individuals. Our policies mandate compliance with these anti-bribery and trade laws, regulations and policies, and we have established policies and procedures designed to assist us and our personnel in compliance with applicable United States and international laws and regulations. However, we operate in parts of the world that are recognized as having governmental and commercial corruption and in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-bribery and trade laws, regulations and policies may conflict with local customs and practices. We cannot assure you that our internal control policies and procedures will always protect us from improper conduct of our employees or business partners. In the event that we believe or have reason to believe that our employees or agents have or may have violated applicable laws, including anti-corruption and trade laws, regulations and policies, we may be required to investigate or engage outside counsel to investigate the relevant facts and circumstances, which can be expensive and require significant time and attention from senior management. Any such violation could result in substantial fines, sanctions, civil and/or criminal penalties, imprisonment, disgorgement of profits, debarment from government contracts and curtailment of operations in certain jurisdictions, and might materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or

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prospects. In addition, actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation and diminish our ability to do business. Furthermore, detecting, investigating and resolving actual or alleged violations is expensive and can consume significant time and attention of our senior management.

Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially adversely affected by risks associated with international sales and operations.

        Our international sales and operations are subject, in varying degrees, to risks inherent to doing business outside the United States. These risks include the following:

•

changes in trade protection measures, including tariff and trade barriers and import and export licensing requirements;



•

potential negative consequences from changes to taxation policies;



•

unanticipated changes in other laws, governmental policies and regulations, or in how such provisions are interpreted or administered;



•

risks associated with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, commonly known as "Brexit," including volatility in worldwide and European financial markets, potential restrictions on the free movement of goods and labor between the United Kingdom and the European Union and other impediments to our ability to transact within and between each of the United Kingdom and the European Union;



•

potential disruptions in our global supply chain;



•

possibility of unfavorable circumstances arising from host country laws or regulations;



•

restrictions on, or taxation of, dividends on repatriation of earnings under applicable local law, monetary transfer restrictions and foreign currency exchange regulations in the jurisdictions in which our subsidiaries operate;



•

currency exchange rate fluctuations and restrictions on currency repatriation;



•

labor disturbances;



•

safety and security considerations;



•

increased costs and risks of developing and managing global operations, including our potential failure to implement global best practices, experiences of employee dissatisfaction and the improper allocation of resources, as a result of distance as well as language and cultural differences; and



•

political instability insurrection, armed conflict, terrorism or war.

        In addition to the general risks that we face outside the United States, our operations in emerging markets could involve additional uncertainties for us, including risks that governments may impose limitations on our ability to repatriate funds; governments may impose withholding or other taxes on remittances and other payments to us, or the amount of any such taxes may increase; an outbreak or escalation of any insurrection or armed conflict may occur; governments may seek to nationalize our assets; or governments may impose or increase investment barriers or other restrictions affecting our business. The emerging markets in which we are active, including China, pose other uncertainties, including the difficulty of enforcing agreements, collecting receivables, protecting of our intellectual property and other assets and pricing of our products appropriately, as well as higher business conduct risks, less qualified talent and risks of political instability. We cannot predict the impact such events might have on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

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Our operations in China expose us to risks inherent in doing business there.

        We currently have operations and source and manufacture certain of our materials and products for global distribution from third-party suppliers and manufacturers in China. The political, legal and economic climate in China, both nationally and regionally, is fluid and unpredictable, and operating in China exposes us to political, legal and economic risks. Our ability to operate in China may be adversely affected by changes in U.S. and Chinese laws and regulations such as those related to, among other things, taxation, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, land use rights, intellectual property, currency controls, network security, employee benefits and other matters, and we may not obtain or retain the requisite legal permits to continue to operate in China or we may become subject to costs or operational limitations imposed in connection with obtaining and complying with such permits. In addition, Chinese trade regulations are in a state of flux, and we may become subject to other forms of taxation, tariffs and duties in China. We may experience difficulty in establishing management, legal and financial controls, collecting financial data and preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records and instituting business practices that meet U.S. and international standards. We may also experience difficulty in managing relations with our employees, distributors, suppliers or customers, with whom disagreements or conflicts of interest could materially adversely affect our operations or our ability to source and manufacture certain of our materials and products in China. Further, the third parties we rely on in China may disclose our confidential information or intellectual property to competitors or third parties, which could result in the illegal distribution and sale of counterfeit versions of our products. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Additionally, the rapid development of the Chinese economy has led to increased labor costs, and the cost of labor in China may continue to increase in the future. Our results of operations will be materially and adversely affected if our labor costs, or the labor costs of our suppliers and manufacturers, increase significantly. We and our manufacturers and suppliers may be unable to find a sufficient number of qualified workers due to the intensely competitive and fluid market for skilled labor in China. Furthermore, pursuant to Chinese labor laws, employers in China are subject to various requirements when signing labor contracts, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees' probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. These labor laws and related regulations impose liabilities on employers and may significantly increase the costs of workforce reductions. If we decide to change or reduce our workforce, these labor laws could limit or restrict our ability to make such changes in a timely, favorable and effective manner. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

If we do not or cannot adequately protect our intellectual property, if third parties infringe our intellectual property rights, or if third parties claim that we are infringing or misappropriating their intellectual property rights, we may suffer competitive injury, expend significant resources enforcing our rights or defending against such claims, or be prevented from selling products or services.

        We own numerous patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets and other intellectual property and licenses to intellectual property owned by others, which in aggregate are important to our business. The intellectual property rights that we obtain, however, may not provide our products and services with a significant competitive advantage because our rights may not be sufficiently broad or may be challenged, invalidated, or subject to government march-in or sovereign rights or compulsory licensing, sunshine laws, or be subject to freedom of information requests, or court-ordered public disclosure, or be subject to open-source software licensing, or be circumvented, independently developed or designed-around, misappropriated, disparaged, diluted, or stolen, particularly in countries where intellectual property rights laws are not highly developed, protected or enforced. Our failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights that convey competitive advantage, adequately protect our intellectual property or detect or prevent circumvention or

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unauthorized use of such property and the cost of enforcing our intellectual property rights could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        From time to time, we, or on occasion our suppliers, contractors or indemnified parties in our supply chain including end-users, receive notices from third parties alleging or warning of potential intellectual property infringement or misappropriation. Any dispute or litigation regarding intellectual property could be costly and time-consuming due to the complexity and the uncertainty of intellectual property litigation. Our intellectual property portfolio may not be useful in asserting a counterclaim, or negotiating a license, in response to a claim of infringement or misappropriation. We may incur significant costs and diversion of management attention and resources as a result of such claims of infringement or misappropriation, and we or our suppliers or sub-contractors could lose rights to critical technology, be unable to license critical technology, provide or sell critical products or services, or be required to pay substantial damages or license fees with respect to the infringed rights or be required to redesign, rework, re-program, or replace our or our customers' products, sub-components, software, or systems, or re-cast our valuable brands at substantial cost, any of which could materially adversely impact our competitive position, financial condition and results of operations even if we successfully defend against such claims of infringement or misappropriation.

We are increasingly dependent on the continuous and reliable operation of our information technology systems, and a disruption of these systems could materially adversely affect our business.

        We rely on our information technology systems in connection with the operation of our business, including with respect to customer service and billing, accounting and, in some cases, the monitoring and operation of our installations. Many of our products, services and solutions depend on the integrity of our information technology systems, including our Water One remote system, monitoring and data analytics features and our automated control solutions. In addition, we rely on our systems to manage maintenance and construction projects, materials and supplies and our human resource functions. A loss of these systems, major problems with the operation of these systems, the failure to properly implement these systems, including in customer installations, or the failure to identify market trends and continuously update our information technology systems could materially adversely affect our operations, sales and reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Specifically, our information technology systems may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from:

•

power loss, computer systems failures and internet, telecommunications or data network failures;



•

operator negligence or improper operation by, or supervision of, employees;



•

physical and electronic loss of data;



•

computer viruses;



•

intentional security breaches, hacking, denial of service actions, misappropriation of data and similar events; and



•

hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

        Such incidents may result in the loss or compromise of customer, financial or operational data, disruption of billing, collections or normal field service activities, disruption of data analytics and electronic monitoring and control of operational systems and delays in financial reporting and other normal management functions. Possible impacts associated with a cybersecurity incident may include remediation costs related to lost, stolen, or compromised data, repairs to infrastructure, physical systems or data processing systems, increased cybersecurity protection costs, adverse effects on our compliance with regulatory and environmental laws and regulations, including standards for drinking water, litigation and reputational damage.

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        We, and some of our third party vendors, have experienced cybersecurity attacks in the past and may experience them in the future, potentially with more frequency. To date, most of these attacks have been unsuccessful, and none have resulted in any material adverse impact to our business or operations. We have adopted measures to mitigate potential risks associated with information technology disruptions and cybersecurity threats, however, given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of such disruptions, we could potentially be subject to production downtimes, operational delays, other detrimental impacts on our operations or ability to provide products and services to our customers, the compromising of confidential or otherwise protected information, destruction or corruption of data, security breaches, other manipulation or improper use of our systems or networks, financial losses from remedial actions, loss of business or potential liability, regulatory enforcement actions and/or damage to our reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. We also have a concentration of operations on certain sites, such as production and shared services centers, where business interruptions could cause material damage and costs. Transport of goods from suppliers, and to customers, could also be hampered for the reasons stated above.

        Although we continue to assess these risks, implement controls and perform business continuity and disaster recovery planning, we cannot be sure that interruptions with material adverse effects will not occur.

If we experience a significant data security breach or fail to detect and appropriately respond to a significant data security breach, our business and reputation could suffer.

        The nature of our business involves the receipt and storage of information about our customers, suppliers and employees. Further, we rely on various information technology systems to capture, process, store and report data in connection with the products, services and solutions that we provide to our customers, such as our Water One smart water technology. We have procedures in place to detect and respond to data security incidents. However, because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently and may be difficult to detect for long periods of time, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventive measures. In addition, hardware, software or applications we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise information security. We outsource administration of certain functions to vendors that could be targets of cyber attacks. Any theft, loss and/or fraudulent use of customer, employee or proprietary data as a result of a cyber attack could subject us to significant litigation, liability and costs, as well as adversely impact our reputation with customers and regulators, among others. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to gain access to our systems or facilities and to our proprietary business information. If our efforts to protect the security of information about our customers, suppliers and employees are unsuccessful, a significant data security breach may result in costly government enforcement actions, private litigation and negative publicity resulting in reputation or brand damage with customers, and our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could suffer.

Our business could be adversely affected by inflation and other manufacturing and operating cost increases.

        Our operating costs are subject to fluctuations, particularly due to changes in commodity prices, raw materials, energy and related utilities, freight and cost of labor. In order to remain competitive, we may not be able to recuperate all or a portion of these higher costs from our customers through product price increases. In addition, many of our contracts are long-term in nature, and our failure to negotiate price escalation provisions, or to obtain adequate price escalation provisions, in our long-term contracts could, in the event of an inflationary or otherwise cost-increasing environment, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Further, in a declining price environment, our operating margins may contract because we account for inventory

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costs on the basis of an average or first-in, first-out method. Actions we take to mitigate volatility in manufacturing and operating costs may not be successful and, as a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

Recently enacted changes to the U.S. tax laws may have a material adverse impact on our business.

        On December 20, 2017, The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate each voted to approve H.R. 1 (commonly referred to as the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act"), and on December 22, 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly impacts U.S. taxation of corporations. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduces the U.S. corporate tax rate, introduces a capital investment deduction, limits the interest deduction, limits certain deductions for executive compensation, and makes certain changes to the international tax system, including the taxation of the accumulated foreign earnings of U.S. multinational corporations. The legislation could have a material adverse impact on our business. In particular, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will limit interest deductions to 30% of earnings, as adjusted for tax purposes. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will further require us to include in our gross income computation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, our pro rata share of the global intangible low-taxed income ("GILTI") generated by our non-U.S. subsidiaries; the computations related to such inclusions, deductions and credits under this new provision are complex and we are still evaluating whether it is likely to impact us. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will also limit the application of NOLs generated after December 31, 2017 to 80% of income generated in future years. These provisions could increase our tax liability. We cannot predict the resulting impact any such enactment will have on our financial results. However the new legislation could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards may be limited.

        As of September 30, 2017, we had approximately $147.0 million of U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). Our NOLs begin to expire in 2019. Utilization of these NOLs depends on many factors, including our future income, which cannot be assured. We have full valuation allowance against the NOLs. In addition, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will limit the application of NOLs generated after December 31, 2017 to 80% of income generated in future years. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced the U.S. corporate tax rate, which resulted in a reduction of the expected cash tax benefit that would arise from any future utilization of our NOLs. Finally, in addition, Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Section 382"), generally imposes an annual limitation on the amount of taxable income that may be offset by NOLs when a corporation has undergone an "ownership change" (as determined under Section 382). Generally, a corporation experiences such an ownership change if the percentage of its stock owned by its "5-percent shareholders," as defined in Section 382, increases by more than 50 percentage points (by value) over a three-year period. Any unused annual limitation may, subject to certain limitations, be carried over to later years. We may undergo an ownership change in the future, including an ownership change as a result of the combined effect of our initial public offering and future equity offerings, which would result in an annual limitation under Section 382 determined by multiplying the value of our stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate as defined in Section 382, increased under certain circumstances as a result of recognizing built-in gains in our assets existing at the time of the ownership change. The limitations arising from any ownership change may prevent utilization of our NOLs prior to their expiration. Future ownership changes or regulatory changes could further limit our ability to utilize our NOLs. To the extent we are not able to offset our future income with our NOLs, this could adversely affect our operating results and cash flows if we attain profitability.

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Changes in our effective tax rates may adversely affect our financial results.

        We offer our products, services and solutions in more than 100 countries and 16.4% of our revenue was generated outside the United States in fiscal 2017. Given the global nature of our business, a number of factors may increase our future effective tax rates, including:

•

the jurisdictions in which profits are determined to be earned and taxed;



•

sustainability of historical income tax rates in the jurisdictions in which we conduct business;



•

the resolution of issues arising from tax audits with various tax authorities; and



•

changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in deferred tax valuation allowances.

        Any significant increase in our future effective tax rates could reduce net income for future periods.

Our historical consolidated financial information may not be representative of our results if we had operated independently of Siemens and does not reflect further changes to our management structure following our separation from Siemens and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of the results that we will achieve as an independent company.

        Prior to the Acquisition in fiscal 2014, we operated as a subsidiary of Siemens. Consequently, some of the financial information incorporated by reference in this prospectus has been derived from the combined and consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Siemens and reflects assumptions and allocations made by Siemens. Our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, as presented, may be different from those that would have resulted if we had been operated as a standalone company or by a company other than Siemens. Since our business had represented a portion of the Siemens' business, the selected financial data presented for fiscal 2013 in "Item 6. Selected Financial Data" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 is not necessarily indicative of our current or future performance and does not reflect what our performance would have been had we operated as a separate stand-alone entity during this period. Further, in fiscal 2016, we effected an organizational redesign to align the management activities of certain of our business centers with functional leaders and, in connection with our acquisition of Neptune-Benson on April 15, 2016 (the "Neptune-Benson Acquisition"), we created a new Aquatics and Disinfection division, which we subsequently merged into our Products Segment. This realignment has had implications on how we manage our business. As a result, our historical financial information may not be a reliable indicator of our future results or the results that we will achieve following the acquisitions and divestitures that we have made and the realignment of our management structure following our separation from Siemens.

We are a holding company with no operations of our own, and we depend on our subsidiaries for cash.

        We are a holding company and do not have any material assets or operations other than ownership of equity interests of our subsidiaries. Our operations are conducted almost entirely through our subsidiaries, and our ability to generate cash to meet our obligations or to pay dividends, if any, is highly dependent on the earnings of, and receipt of funds from, our subsidiaries through dividends or intercompany loans. The ability of our subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to allow us and them to make scheduled payments on our debt obligations will depend on their future financial performance, which will be affected by a range of economic, competitive and business factors, many of which are outside of our control. We cannot assure you that the cash flow and earnings of our operating subsidiaries will be adequate for our subsidiaries to service their debt obligations. Additionally, under the terms of our the agreement governing our senior secured credit facilities, our operating subsidiaries are currently limited in their ability to pay cash dividends to us, and we expect these limitations to continue in the future under the terms of any future credit agreement or any future

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debt or preferred equity securities of ours or of our subsidiaries. If our subsidiaries do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to satisfy corporate obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans (such as refinancing), restructure debt, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments or seek to raise additional capital. We cannot assure you that any such alternative refinancing would be possible, that any assets could be sold, or, if sold, of the timing of the sales and the amount of proceeds realized from those sales, that additional financing could be obtained on acceptable terms, if at all, or that additional financing would be permitted under the terms of our various debt instruments then in effect. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our obligations, or to refinance our obligations on commercially reasonable terms, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

        Furthermore, we and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future that may severely restrict or prohibit our subsidiaries from making distributions, paying dividends, if any, or making loans to us.

We may incur impairment charges for our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets which would negatively impact our operating results.

        We have a significant amount of goodwill and purchased intangible assets on our balance sheet as a result of the Acquisition and subsequent acquisitions we have completed, including the Neptune-Benson Acquisition. As of December 31, 2017, the net carrying value of our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets totaled approximately $355.1 million, including $143.7 million related to Neptune-Benson. The carrying value of goodwill represents the fair value of an acquired business in excess of identifiable assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date. The carrying value of indefinite-lived intangible assets represents the federal hazardous waste treatment management permits obtained for locations operated by the Industrial segment. We do not amortize goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets that we expect to contribute indefinitely to our cash flows, but instead we evaluate these assets for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if changes in circumstances indicate that a potential impairment could exist. In testing for impairment, we will make a qualitative assessment, and if we believe that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test is required. Significant negative industry or economic trends, disruptions to our business, inability to effectively integrate acquired businesses, unexpected significant changes or planned changes in use of the assets, divestitures and market capitalization declines may impair our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. Any charges relating to such impairments could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to our Indebtedness

Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and limit our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations.

        We have a significant amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2017, we had total indebtedness of $804.1 million, including $794.6 million of borrowings under our term loan facility, no borrowings under our revolving credit facility, and $9.5 million in borrowings related to BOO financing. We also had $6.5 million of letters of credit issued under our $125.0 million revolving credit facility and an additional $12.2 million of letters of credit issued under a separate uncommitted facility as of December 31, 2017.

        Our high level of indebtedness could have important consequences to us, including:

•

making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt;



•

limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions or other general corporate requirements;

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•

requiring a substantial portion of our cash flows to be dedicated to debt service payments and/or debt repayment instead of other purposes, thereby reducing the amount of cash flows available for working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions or other general corporate purposes;



•

increasing our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions;



•

exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates as borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities (to the extent not hedged) bear interest at variable rates, which could further adversely impact our cash flows;



•

limiting our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and the industry in which we compete;



•

restricting us from making strategic acquisitions or causing us to make non-strategic divestitures;



•

impairing our ability to obtain additional financing in the future;



•

placing us at a disadvantage compared to other, less leveraged competitors; and



•

increasing our cost of borrowing.

        Any one of these limitations could have a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and our ability to satisfy our obligations in respect of our outstanding debt.

Despite our current debt levels, we may incur substantially more indebtedness, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial leverage.

        We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur additional indebtedness in the future, which may be secured. While the agreement governing our senior secured credit facilities limits our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions and thus, notwithstanding these restrictions, we may still be able to incur substantially more debt. In addition, provided that no default or event of default (as defined in the agreement governing our senior secured credit facilities) has occurred and is continuing, we have the option to add one or more incremental term loan or revolving credit facilities or increase commitments under our revolving credit facility by an aggregate amount which does not cause our total first lien net leverage ratio, on a pro forma basis (in each case, as defined in the agreement governing our senior secured credit facilities), to exceed 4.50 to 1.00, plus up to an additional $100.0 million (excluding incremental revolving credit facilities or increases under our revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $30.0 million) (all of which remains available as of September 30, 2017). On November 7, 2017, we used a portion of the proceeds of our initial public offering to repay approximately $104.9 million of indebtedness (including accrued and unpaid interest) under the term loan facility. See also "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017. To the extent that we incur additional indebtedness, the risks that we now face related to our substantial indebtedness could increase.

To service our indebtedness, we require a significant amount of cash, which depends on many factors beyond our control.

        We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available to us under our senior secured credit facilities in amounts sufficient to enable us to fund our liquidity needs.

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        If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to satisfy our debt obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, such as:

•

refinancing or restructuring our debt;



•

selling assets; or



•

seeking to raise additional capital.

        We cannot assure you that we would be able to enter into these alternative financing plans on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Moreover, any alternative financing plans that we may be required to undertake would still not guarantee that we would be able to meet our debt obligations. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt obligations, or to obtain alternative financing, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. See "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017.

We will need to repay or refinance borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities.

        Our revolving credit facility and term loan facility are scheduled to mature in December 2022 and December 2024, respectively (other than $37.5 million under the revolving credit facility which is scheduled to mature in January 2019). We will need to repay, refinance, replace or otherwise extend the maturity of our senior secured credit facilities. Our ability to repay, refinance, replace or extend these facilities by their maturity dates will be dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance and the general condition of the financial markets. If a financial disruption were to occur at the time that we are required to repay indebtedness outstanding under our senior secured credit facilities, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity of our senior secured credit facilities or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay indebtedness under our senior secured credit facilities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to consummate any such transaction on terms that are commercially reasonable, on terms acceptable to us or at all.

Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly.

        Borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities are at variable rates of interest and expose us to interest rate risk. Interest rates are still near historically low levels and are projected to rise in the future. If interest rates rise, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness will increase even though the amount borrowed may remain the same, and our net income and cash flows will correspondingly decrease. Assuming no prepayments of the term loan facility (which had $794.6 million outstanding as of December 31, 2017) and that our revolving credit facility was fully drawn, each 0.125% change in interest rates would result in an approximate change of $1.2 million in annual interest expense on the indebtedness under our senior secured credit facilities. On December 20, 2017, we amended the agreement governing our senior secured credit facilities to, among other things, (i) reduce the interest rate spread applicable to term loans thereunder; (ii) reduce the interest rate spread applicable to revolving credit loans of certain revolving credit lenders who agreed to the extension of maturity; (iii) extend the maturity of term loans thereunder and (iv) extend the maturity of the revolving credit loans of certain revolving lenders. See also "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

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The covenants in our senior secured credit facilities impose restrictions that may limit our operating and financial flexibility.

        Our senior secured credit facilities contain a number of significant restrictions and covenants that limit our ability, among other things, to:

•

incur additional indebtedness;



•

pay dividends or distributions on our capital stock or repurchase or redeem our capital stock;



•

prepay, redeem or repurchase specified indebtedness;



•

create certain liens;



•

sell, transfer or otherwise convey certain assets;



•

make certain investments;



•

create dividend or other payment restrictions affecting subsidiaries;



•

engage in transactions with affiliates;



•

create unrestricted subsidiaries;



•

consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets or the assets of our subsidiaries;



•

enter into agreements containing certain prohibitions affecting us or our subsidiaries; and



•

enter into new lines of business.

        In addition, the senior secured credit facilities contain a financial covenant requiring us to comply with a 5.55 to 1.00 first lien net leverage ratio test. This financial covenant is solely for the benefit of the lenders under our revolving credit facility and is tested as of the last day of a quarter on which the aggregate amount of revolving loans and letters of credit outstanding under the revolving credit facility (net of cash collateralized letters of credit and undrawn outstanding letters of credit in an amount of up to 50% of the revolving credit facility) exceeds 25% of the total commitments thereunder.

        These covenants could materially adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs. Furthermore, they may restrict our ability to expand and pursue our business strategies and otherwise conduct our business. Our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by circumstances and events beyond our control, such as prevailing economic conditions and changes in regulations, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with such covenants. These restrictions also limit our ability to obtain future financings to withstand a future downturn in our business or the economy in general. In addition, complying with these covenants may also cause us to take actions that may make it more difficult for us to successfully execute our business strategy and compete against companies that are not subject to such restrictions.

        A breach of any covenant in our senior secured credit facilities or the agreements and indentures governing any other indebtedness that we may have outstanding from time to time would result in a default under that agreement or indenture after any applicable grace periods. A default, if not waived, could result in acceleration of the debt outstanding under the agreement and in a default with respect to, and an acceleration of, the debt outstanding under other debt agreements. If that occurs, we may not be able to make all of the required payments or borrow sufficient funds to refinance such debt. Even if new financing were available at that time, it may not be on terms that are acceptable to us or terms as favorable as our current agreements. If our debt is in default for any reason, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

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Risks Relating to our Common Stock and this Offering

The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the public offering price.

        The trading price of our common stock could be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment. We cannot assure you that an active public market for our common stock will be sustained. The following factors, in addition to other factors described in this "Risk Factors" section and included elsewhere and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, may have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock:

•

negative trends in global economic conditions or activity levels in our industry;



•

changes in our relationship with our customers or in customer needs, expectations or trends;



•

announcements concerning our competitors or our industry in general;



•

our ability to implement our business strategy;



•

our ability to complete and integrate acquisitions;



•

actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results;



•

trading volume of our common stock;



•

the failure of securities analysts to cover the Company or changes in analysts' financial estimates;



•

severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism or other external events;



•

economic, legal and regulatory factors unrelated to our performance;



•

changes in accounting principles;



•

the loss of any of our management or key personnel;



•

sales of our common stock by us, our executive officers and directors or our stockholders (including certain affiliates of AEA) in the future; and



•

general economic and market conditions and overall fluctuations in the U.S. equity markets.

        In addition, broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance, and factors beyond our control may cause our stock price to decline rapidly and unexpectedly.

Because AEA controls a significant percentage of our common stock, it may influence major corporate decisions, and the interests of AEA and its affiliates, including certain of our directors, may conflict with your interests as an owner of our common stock and those of the Company.

        AEA currently owns 40.6% of our common stock and will own approximately 32.2% after the completion of this offering (or 30.9% after the completion of this offering if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares). Through this beneficial ownership and a stockholders' agreement and irrevocable voting proxies, pursuant to which certain of our stockholders have agreed to vote all of their shares to elect one individual to our board of directors that has been nominated by AEA (so long as AEA holds an aggregate of at least 10% of our outstanding common stock), AEA may be deemed to beneficially own, after the completion of this offering, approximately 54.9% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock (or 52.7% if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares). In addition, for a period of two years following the closing of our initial public offering, so long as AEA holds an aggregate of at least 20% of our outstanding common stock, certain of these stockholders have also agreed to irrevocably appoint AEA as their proxy to vote all of their shares of our common stock with respect to the election of any member of our board of directors, and in the aggregate, AEA and these other stockholders beneficially

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own more than 50% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, AEA will be able to influence matters requiring approval by our stockholders and/or our board of directors, including the election of directors and the approval of business combinations or dispositions and other extraordinary transactions. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions."

        AEA may have interests that are different from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests. Further, AEA's concentration of ownership could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control or otherwise discouraging a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control of us, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over the market price for their common stock. Additionally, AEA and its affiliates are in the business of making investments in companies and may from time to time acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us or supply us with goods and services. Stockholders should consider that the interests of AEA may differ from their interests in material respects.

        Three of our eight directors are currently affiliated with AEA. These persons will have fiduciary duties to both us and AEA. As a result, they may have real or apparent conflicts of interest on matters affecting both us and AEA, which in some circumstances may have interests adverse to ours. In addition, as described below under "Description of Capital Stock," our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of "corporate opportunity" will not apply with respect to us, to AEA or certain related parties or any of our directors who are employees of AEA or its affiliates in a manner that would prohibit them from investing in competing businesses or doing business with our customers. AEA or its affiliates may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. To the extent they invest in such other businesses, AEA and its affiliates, including affiliates of AEA who serve on our board of directors, may have interests that differ from those of our other stockholders.

Sales, or the potential for sales, of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by us or our existing stockholders could cause our stock price to fall.

        Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.

        In connection with this offering, we, our directors and executive officers and the selling stockholders will agree with the underwriters of this offering to enter into lock-up agreements that restrict the stockholders' ability to transfer shares of our common stock, other than in connection with this offering, for 90 days from the date of this prospectus, subject to certain customary exceptions. In addition, holders of substantially all of our common stock outstanding prior to our initial public offering agreed to not transfer their shares of our common stock, except in certain circumstances, until the date that is 180 days from the date of the final prospectus for our initial public offering. The representatives of the underwriters of our initial public offering have waived certain of such initial public offering lock-up agreements to permit the filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and are expected to waive certain of the initial public offering lock-up agreements to permit the sale of our common stock in this offering by the selling stockholders (which may include directors and officers of the Company). After this offering, we will have 113,699,024 outstanding shares of common stock based on the number of shares outstanding as of March 1, 2018, after giving effect to the Net Exercise. Of the 113,264,492 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 1, 2018, all of the 31,944,443 shares sold in our initial public offering are, and the 17,500,000 shares to be sold in this offering will be, immediately tradable without restriction under the Securities Act, except that any shares held by our "affiliates," as that term is defined under Rule 144 of the

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Securities Act, may be sold only in compliance with the limitations described in "Shares Eligible for Future Sale."

        Following this offering, approximately 64,754,581 shares are subject to the lock-up agreements described above. In addition, pursuant to the terms of a registration rights agreement, the holders of substantially all of these shares, other than AEA, have agreed to not sell any shares pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act or in another private placement for a period of two years following the closing of our initial public offering, unless consented to by our board of directors or sold to certain permitted transferees. Following the expiration of the applicable lock-up period and these contractual restrictions, such shares will become eligible for sale, as calculated and described in more detail in the section entitled "Shares Eligible for Future Sale." In addition, shares issued or issuable upon exercise of options vested as of the expiration of the lock-up period will be eligible for sale at that time or, if not subject to the lock-up agreements described above, will be eligible for sale immediately following exercise of such options, except that any shares held by our "affiliates," as that term is defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, may be sold only in compliance with the limitations described in "Shares Eligible for Future Sale." Sales of stock by these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.

        Moreover, after this offering, holders of an aggregate of 64,754,581 shares of our common stock have rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act, would result in the shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act, except for shares held by our affiliates as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.

If securities or industry analysts cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our markets, or if they adversely change their recommendations or publish negative reports regarding our business or our stock, our stock price and trading volume could materially decline.

        The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our markets or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts and we cannot provide any assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover us adversely change their recommendation regarding our stock, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price could materially decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to materially decline.

Some provisions of our charter documents and Delaware law may have anti-takeover effects that could discourage an acquisition of us by others, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our stockholders, and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

        Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, as well as provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us or increase the cost of acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions include:

•

establishing a classified board of directors such that not all members of the board of directors are elected at one time;



•

allowing the authorized number of our directors to be determined exclusively by resolution of our board of directors and granting to our board of directors the sole power to fill any vacancy on the board of directors;

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•

limiting the ability of stockholders to remove directors without cause;



•

providing that our board of directors is expressly authorized to adopt, or to alter or repeal, our amended and restated bylaws;



•

authorizing the issuance of "blank check" preferred stock by our board of directors, without further stockholder approval, to thwart a takeover attempt;



•

prohibiting stockholder action by written consent (and, thus, requiring that all stockholder actions be taken at a meeting of our stockholders);



•

eliminating the ability of stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders;



•

establishing advance notice requirements for nominations for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon at annual stockholder meetings; and



•

requiring the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all outstanding stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, to amend or repeal our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws.

        In addition, while we have opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains similar provisions providing that we may not engage in certain "business combinations" with any "interested stockholder" for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

•

prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;



•

upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or



•

at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

        These anti-takeover defenses could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our Company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing and cause us to take corporate actions other than those you desire. See "Description of Capital Stock."

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

        Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed to us or our stockholders by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising under the DGCL or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. By becoming a stockholder in our Company, you will be deemed to have notice of and have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation related to choice of forum. The choice of forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

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We will be exposed to risks relating to evaluations of controls required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

        We are in the process of evaluating our internal controls systems to allow management to report on, and our independent auditors to audit, our internal controls over financial reporting. We will be performing the system and process evaluation and testing (and any necessary remediation) required to comply with the management certification and the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act"). We will be required to comply with Section 404 in full (including an auditor attestation on management's internal controls report) in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018 (subject to any change in applicable SEC rules). Furthermore, upon completion of this process, we may identify control deficiencies of varying degrees of severity under applicable SEC and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") rules and regulations that remain unremediated. As a public company, we are required to report, among other things, control deficiencies that constitute a "material weakness" or changes in internal controls that, or that are reasonably likely to, materially affect internal controls over financial reporting. A "material weakness" is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. A "significant deficiency" is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those responsible for oversight of our financial reporting.

        If we fail to implement the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, regulatory authorities such as the SEC or the PCAOB might subject us to sanctions or investigation. If we do not implement improvements to our disclosure controls and procedures or to our internal controls in a timely manner, our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to certify as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to an audit of our controls. This may subject us to adverse regulatory consequences or a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements. We could also suffer a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements if our independent registered public accounting firm reports a material weakness in our internal controls, if we do not develop and maintain effective controls and procedures or if we are otherwise unable to deliver timely and reliable financial information.

        Additionally, effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inadequate internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. Any loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements or other negative reaction to our failure to develop timely or adequate disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls could result in a decline in the price of our common stock. In addition, if we fail to remedy any material weakness, our financial statements may be inaccurate, we may face restricted access to the capital markets and our stock price may be adversely affected.

We do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends.

        We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business, and the continued operation and expansion of our business will require substantial funding. Accordingly, we do not currently anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant. We are a holding company, and substantially all of our operations are carried out by our operating subsidiaries. Under our senior secured credit facilities, our

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operating subsidiaries are currently limited in their ability to pay cash dividends, and we expect these limitations to continue in the future. Our ability to pay dividends may also be limited by the terms of any future credit agreement or any future debt or preferred equity securities of ours or of our subsidiaries. Accordingly, if you purchase shares in this offering, realization of a gain on your investment in shares of our common stock will depend on the appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur. Investors seeking cash dividends in the foreseeable future should not purchase our common stock.

The requirements of being a public company, including compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the NYSE, may strain our resources, increase our costs and divert management's attention, and we may be unable to comply with these requirements in a timely or cost-effective manner.

        As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the corporate governance standards of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the NYSE. These requirements place a strain on our management, systems and resources and we will incur significant legal, accounting, insurance and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Exchange Act requires us to file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition within specified time periods and to prepare a proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. The NYSE requires that we comply with various corporate governance requirements. To maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting and comply with the Exchange Act and NYSE requirements, significant resources and management oversight will be required. This may divert management's attention from other business concerns and lead to significant costs associated with compliance, which could have a material adverse effect on us and the price of our common stock.

        The expenses incurred by public companies generally for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or its committees or as our executive officers. Advocacy efforts by stockholders and third parties may also prompt even more changes in governance and reporting requirements. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of these costs. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our common stock, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.

We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.

        Our share price may be volatile and, in the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Litigation of this type could result in substantial costs and diversion of management's attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Any adverse determination in litigation could also subject us to significant liabilities.

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We are a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE and, as a result, will qualify for, and may rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

        Following the completion of this offering, we expect to continue to be a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. A company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements of the NYSE, including:

•

the requirement that a majority of our board of directors consist of independent directors;



•

the requirement that we have a nominating/corporate governance committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities;



•

the requirement that we have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities; and



•

the requirement for an annual performance evaluation of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees.

        We intend to continue to rely on all of the exemptions listed above. If we continue to utilize the exemptions, we will not have a majority of independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees will not consist entirely of independent directors. As a result, our board of directors and those committees may have more directors who do not meet the NYSE's independence standards than they would if those standards were to apply. The independence standards are intended to ensure that directors who meet those standards are free of any conflicting interest that could influence their actions as directors. Accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE.

        In addition, on June 20, 2012, the SEC adopted Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act to implement provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act pertaining to compensation committee independence and the role and disclosure of compensation consultants and other advisers to the compensation committee. The national securities exchanges have since adopted amendments to their existing listing standards to comply with provisions of Rule 10C-1, and on January 11, 2013, the SEC approved such amendments. The amended listing standards require, among other things, that

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compensation committees be composed of fully independent directors, as determined pursuant to new and existing independence requirements;



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compensation committees be explicitly charged with hiring and overseeing compensation consultants, legal counsel and other committee advisers; and



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compensation committees are required to consider, when engaging compensation consultants, legal counsel or other advisers, certain independence factors, including factors that examine the relationship between the consultant or adviser's employer and us.

        As a "controlled company," we will not be subject to these compensation committee independence requirements, and accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to these compensation committee independence requirements.

        To the extent that there is any increase in the number of shares to be sold in this offering, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, we may lose our status as a "controlled company." If we are no longer a "controlled company" following this offering, the NYSE rules will require that we (i) have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors within one year of the date we no longer qualify as a "controlled company" (ii) have at least a majority of independent directors on each of the

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compensation and nominating/corporate governance committees within 90 days of such date and the compensation and nominating/corporate governance committees composed entirely of independent directors within one year of such date and (iii) perform an annual performance evaluation of the compensation and nominating/corporate governance committees. During this transition period, we may continue to utilize the available exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements as permitted by the NYSE rules.

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