Expanding Stormwater Compliance Solutions
SwiftComply Acquires ComplianceGo to Enhance Stormwater Software for Utilities
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SwiftComply has acquired ComplianceGo, a stormwater compliance software provider, in its second major deal in just over a year. The move gives SwiftComply a platform used by more than 700 municipal customers across North America — including half of the 20 largest U.S. cities — according to Business Wire.
The acquisition follows SwiftComply's April 2025 purchase of CloudCompli and NPDESPro. Together, these deals push the company toward a single platform where utilities can manage every water compliance program in one place — from restaurant grease trap inspections to industrial stormwater permits.
Two Acquisitions in 14 Months Signal Stormwater Push
SwiftComply was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2016 by Mick O'Dwyer, a former wastewater engineer who built the EU's first fat, oil, and grease (FOG) compliance program. He moved the company to Pleasanton, California, and in January 2025 raised a growth investment from Boston-based M33 Growth that valued SwiftComply at roughly $40 million, according to The Currency.
The CloudCompli deal came first, in April 2025. Now ComplianceGo joins the platform. Analysts estimate SwiftComply's 2026 valuation now exceeds $75 million. ComplianceGo had roughly $990,000 in annual recurring revenue before the deal, according to GetLatka.
New EPA Rules Are Forcing Utilities Off Spreadsheets
The EPA's 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit — known as the MSGP — is the main driver behind the rush to modernize. The new permit requires utilities to test for 40 different PFAS chemicals using a specific lab method called EPA Method 1633. PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems. Spreadsheets simply cannot keep up, according to J.S. Held.
MS4 permits — rules covering city storm drain systems — are also being reissued with tougher climate resilience standards. Cities must now prove their infrastructure can handle bigger, more frequent storms. SwiftComply CEO Mick O'Dwyer said stormwater is "the fastest-moving regulatory space in water compliance right now," according to Business Wire.
ComplianceGo Customers Keep Access, But Questions Remain
SwiftComply says ComplianceGo users will have uninterrupted access to their existing software. ComplianceGo founder Ryan Dickson, who will join the SwiftComply team, said the deal means the company can "deliver even more value to our customers," according to Business Wire. ComplianceGo held a 4.4 out of 5 rating on Capterra before the deal.
Some users worry the small team feel — ComplianceGo had about 9 employees — will be lost inside a larger company. Jason Locklin, former founder of CloudCompli who now leads stormwater product strategy at SwiftComply, is expected to oversee the integration, according to SwiftComply.
A $28 Billion Market and the Risk of Vendor Lock-In
Digital water spending in the U.S. and Canada is forecast to double from $14.4 billion to $28.6 billion by 2036, according to Bluefield Research. The average utility today juggles four to six disconnected compliance tools. SwiftComply's pitch is that one platform cuts that burden — and can reduce administrative labor by up to 80%, based on its own customer case studies.
Not everyone is cheering. Industry watchdogs have flagged a broader "water mega-merger" trend. The specific risk for software is vendor lock-in — when a city stores all its compliance data in one system, switching to a competitor becomes very expensive. The EPA estimates the new MSGP rules add $1,610 to $1,770 in annual costs per facility, making affordable, flexible software more important than ever, according to EPA.
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