When Ian Robinson, Managing Director at WDP, needed a trustworthy chemical manufacturer that could revamp their formula and take their product to new heights, ReAgent delivered on all fronts due to our experience, quality, capacity, and our unwavering commitment to our customers.

About WDP

Water Development Program (WDP) is revolutionising the concept of water treatments all over the world. Their cutting-edge formulation is not only able to remove hazardous chemicals, like chlorine, and replace them with non-hazardous products, it also has efficacy as a dermatological spray – and even the potential to change the way a country drinks. 

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. The story of how WDP came to be is signposted by challenge after challenge. Luckily, they were able to overcome all of these with sheer determination, a revolutionary water treatment product, and ReAgent’s technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities.

The challenges WDP faced

The formulation originated in the mid-nineties in South Africa, when a father stumbled upon a chlorine-free water treatment completely by accident. The biocidal properties of some minerals he’d used had helped treat and clear his family’s pool. The next step? He patented the formula.

The company that’s now WDP took on the global distribution of this new product. But as it turned out, the formulation could do much more than clean swimming pools. The mineral content of the product was also effective against viruses, and the company began looking at how it could be used to purify drinking water as well as recreational water.

Unfortunately, a series of challenges then arose. A family rift in the founding company, lost contracts due to governmental changes, and compromised product quality from the manufacturing facilities they were using in South Africa and mainland Europe meant that WDP started looking for a new chemical manufacturer in the UK.

How ReAgent got involved

WDP MD Ian met ReAgent’s sales manager at a trade show, and spoke about what he was looking for. Ian said, “I wanted to improve the product’s formula and also reduce the amount of acid in the product. Not every manufacturer is keen to work with acid in a formulation, but it didn’t faze ReAgent, and so we soon started working together on the product.”

At first, ReAgent started by creating small batches, frequently checking that the right levels of mineral content were being maintained. We were confident that we could help WDP come up with an alternative product that would replace the one they had been working with.

Creating a new, improved formula

Over the course of a year, ReAgent and WDP committed to a cycle of testing and modifying until we came up with a product that exceeded everyone’s expectations. 

One of the biggest challenges when developing the new formula was reducing the amount of acid. Thanks to ReAgent’s knowledgeable staff, we solved this by using mineral salts, which are purer, more consistent, and more soluble than the lumps of minerals that were originally being used.

With hydrochloric acid removed from the formulation, leaving behind only a very small amount of nitric acid, the product became more accessible to ship, safer to handle, and allowed WDP to reach new heights as a business and go from strength to strength.

The results

Ian says, “We now have an even better, non-hazardous product that we are in complete control of, thanks to the non-disclosure agreement in place with the ReAgent team. 

“The only problem? The product lasts too long! Because of how effective it is, you only need a small amount to get results.”

In fact, the revised formulation is so effective that it has a positive side effect that no one saw coming. When used, it actually flushes biofilm out of a water system. This is an added benefit because biofilm is a hotbed for bacteria and potential viruses, like Legionnaires, and it builds up inside pipework because chlorine isn’t able to break it down – but WDP’s wonder product definitely can.

With plans to develop an alcohol-free dermatological hand sanitiser spray, and their products currently being used and tested across West Africa with hopes of helping various countries become chlorine-free, the future is bright for WDP.

Working with ReAgent

According to Ian, ReAgent, with our knowledgeable staff and decades of experience, were the natural choice. He said, “It’s all about relationships, and I trust them. We could work together and nothing was too much trouble. They were happy to keep modifying and tweaking. Some companies you work with have a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude, but with ReAgent, everything’s possible.

“In the early days, when we were trying to move from the France manufacturer to ReAgent, there were cash flow issues, but ReAgent was very understanding and they supported us. You have to have that relationship with a supplier through the good times and the bad times – you stick together.

“And it makes my job a lot easier knowing that we’ve got an ISO-certified factory working with us. They tick all the boxes as a supplier.”