About Abtech

Engineering Better Water Treatment.

Abtech combines proprietary Smart Sponge® filtration media, in-house engineering, and hands-on support to solve complex water quality challenges.

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Where we work

Thirty years of projects, coast to coast.

Smart Sponge has gone into more than 30,000 installations in 45 states and 15 countries. The map shows our most recent projects. Tap a pin to see what it treats.

Also in Canada:

Selected recent projects.

How we work

From first sample to final changeout.

We do the testing, engineering and manufacturing ourselves in Phoenix, so one team stays with a project from the first water sample to the last cartridge swap.

  1. Lab technician holding up a vial of a water sample next to the test instrument

    Look at the water

    We start with what is in your water, how much of it flows and what your permit allows.

  2. Abtech lab technician adjusting a Smart Sponge test column in the Phoenix lab

    Test it in our lab

    We run your water through the media in our Phoenix lab, then pilot it on site when it makes sense.

  3. Two Abtech engineers reviewing a water treatment design on a whiteboard

    Design the system

    We size the media, inserts, vaults or vessels around your site and your flows.

  4. Two Abtech staff moving stainless filter inserts on warehouse racks

    Make it in Phoenix

    We make Smart Sponge and the hardware that holds it in our own plant.

  5. Crew placing Smart Sponge modules into a stormwater vault

    Help put it in

    We work with your engineers and contractors on submittals and installation.

  6. Crew lowering a stainless filter insert into a street storm drain

    Stay with you

    We plan changeouts, check how the media is doing and adjust as your site changes.

Our story

We’ve been solving water problems since 1996.

  1. Smart Sponge media in a glass jar
    1996

    Founded to stop oil spills

    Abtech starts in Arizona with one idea: a polymer that pulls oil out of water and holds on to it for good.

  2. 2000

    Into the storm drain

    Smart Sponge and the Ultra-Urban Filter become registered trademarks, and drop-in storm drain filters go into the field.

    Stainless catch-basin filter insert
  3. Smart Sponge holding oil, under a microscope
    2003

    84% of oil captured

    An independent college lab tests the storm drain filter with diesel and used motor oil. It captures 84% on average, with nothing leaching back out.

  4. 2005

    A version that kills bacteria

    Smart Sponge Plus is tested at a public beach outfall, with a state university monitoring. Bacteria drop by up to 99.9%.

    Smart Sponge Plus media
  5. Smart Sponge oil boom
    2010

    EPA registration

    Smart Sponge Plus is registered with the EPA as an antimicrobial (Reg. No. 86256-1). The same year, the U.S. Coast Guard validates the media for the Gulf oil spill response.

  6. 2014

    Heavy metals and phosphorus

    An iron-based media developed at a university is licensed and scaled up as Smart Sponge HM.

    Smart Sponge HM media
  7. A row of filters installed in a trench drain
    2017

    20,000 installations

    Smart Sponge is in more than 20,000 places across the U.S. and 15 countries.

  8. 2020

    Certified and verified

    The Ultra-Urban Filter is certified for full trash capture by the California State Water Board and approved as a stormwater practice in Pennsylvania.

    Two workers carrying a filter insert across a yard
  9. Water droplets, illustrating PFAS
    2022

    Air Force research award

    A U.S. Air Force AFWERX award funds work on a Smart Sponge for PFAS, the “forever chemicals.”

  10. 2025

    Smart Sponge Quanta

    Smart Sponge Quanta launches to capture PFAS. Our Phoenix headquarters now includes an applied water lab.

    Smart Sponge Quanta media
  11. Excavator setting a stormwater vault at a large construction site
    2026

    30,000+ installations

    Today Smart Sponge works in storm drains, marinas, airports, ports, factories and military sites.

Our team

The people behind the media.

Abtech’s team brings together technical expertise and practical industry experience to help customers evaluate challenges, develop solutions, and put treatment systems to work.

Tom Izzo

President & CEO
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Tom is an engineer, operator, and investor with experience across energy, environmental technology, and complex infrastructure. He previously served as a Nuclear Plant Engineer at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and has worked with Core Synergy LLC since 2016, investing in energy and environmental companies. He is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy with a degree in Marine Engineering and completed the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Training Pipeline.

Jon Loveland, PE

Director, Engineering
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Jon is a water treatment engineer with more than 25 years of experience in desalination, potable reuse, groundwater treatment, membrane systems, and adsorption process design. He previously served as Global Practice Leader for Alternative Water Supply at Black & Veatch and as an engineering lead at Poseidon Water for the Carlsbad Desalination Facility. He also serves on the board of the National WateReuse Association.

Mark Dominick

Vice President, Sales
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Mark is a commercial leader with experience in energy transportation and investment. He began his career brokering energy transportation before joining Core Synergy LLC in 2020, where he worked on projects and investments across energy-related industries. Mark is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy with a degree in Maritime Transportation and holds an unlimited tonnage license for ocean-going vessels.

Jake Dobrenz

Director, Business Development
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Jake leads Abtech’s business development and sales efforts, including channel partner growth and project support. Since joining Abtech in 2022, he has worked across sales, project management, and operations. He holds degrees in Supply Chain Management and Marketing from Arizona State University.

Lauren Wilder

Lab Manager
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Lauren oversees Abtech’s laboratory operations and supports research, testing, and performance evaluation for the company’s water treatment technologies. Her work includes analyzing water quality, evaluating treatment media, and connecting laboratory findings with product development and field applications. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental & Research Management at Arizona State University.

Kenneth Frame

Director, Manufacturing and Engineering
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Kenneth brings more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, logistics, and product development. At Abtech, he oversees production operations and facility workflows, manages manufacturing schedules, and coordinates the movement of finished goods and supply chain materials. Prior to joining Abtech, Kenneth held leadership roles across manufacturing and logistics, including supervising production teams, supporting R&D efforts, and managing logistics operations.

Talk to a Water Treatment Specialist

Let’s Solve Your Water Challenge

Share your site conditions, contaminants, treatment goals, or project plans.

Crew placing Smart Sponge modules into a stormwater vaultCrew placing Smart Sponge modules into a stormwater vault
Find us at
Phoenix, Arizona – Made in the USA
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