As a young engineer, Hubert Fleming was taught a simple yet powerful lesson: “He who aims below the stars aims too low.” It was a philosophy that would shape his entire career—a career driven by ambition, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of solutions to one of humanity’s greatest challenges: access to clean water.
His journey began in research and development, where he explored new materials and technologies with the potential to change industries. But as life often does, challenges arose. His father’s words echoed in his mind: “It’s how you overcome adversity that defines your character.” And adapt he did.
Hubert joined a small but bold startup, Zenon Environment, where he and his team pioneered the first commercial membrane systems for desalination—turning seawater into fresh, drinkable water. What once seemed like science fiction became a reality, and this breakthrough paved the way for treating sea water and brackish water on a global scale.
His success led him to the helm of some of the world’s largest water management companies, including Severn Trent Services and Hatch, where he continued to push boundaries, designing world-scale solutions for water treatment and sustainability. Along the way, he worked with some of the most influential infrastructure financiers, bridging the gap between innovation and real-world impact.
But Hubert wasn’t done yet. He knew that technology alone wasn’t enough—real change required vision, funding, and execution. So he joined Upwell Water, a company dedicated to developing large-scale water projects that don’t just work in theory, but in practice—bringing safe, clean water to communities across the world.
For Hubert, every challenge has been a stepping stone, every setback a lesson. And with his eyes still set on the stars, he continues to lead the way, ensuring that no one is left without life’s most essential resource: water.
A Lifetime of Leadership in Water Innovation
Leading Upwell Water Treatment is the culmination of Hubert Fleming’s distinguished 43-year career in the U.S. and global water and infrastructure industry. His journey began as a young engineer engaged in research and development, focusing on innovative materials—some of which, including membranes and adsorbents, would go on to revolutionize water treatment, as well as other commercial applications.
His career took a pivotal turn when he joined Zenon Environment, a bold startup where he played a key role in developing the first commercial membrane systems for desalination and seawater purification. Under his leadership, Zenon also pioneered membrane bioreactors, advancing the complete recycling and reuse of wastewater from both industrial and human sources. The company flourished, went public, and was ultimately acquired by General Electric.
Following this success, Hubert took on leadership roles at Severn Trent Services and Hatch, where he focused on developing large-scale solutions for safe drinking water and sanitary wastewater treatment. His work remained driven by a singular goal: addressing one of humanity’s greatest challenges—access to clean water and effective sanitation.
Through his extensive experience, Hubert learned that technological innovation alone is not enough. For a project to be truly successful, it must be backed by proper funding and aligned with governments and local stakeholders. Over the years, he has worked alongside many of the world’s governments and largest infrastructure financiers, ensuring that transformative water projects are not only developed but also effectively implemented.
His leadership journey has seen him evolve from a technical engineer to a manager of people and large organizations, ultimately transitioning into financing and managing large-scale water projects and companies. His career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to both innovation and execution, bringing together technology, funding, and operations to create sustainable water solutions.
Principles of Leadership
Hubert is a firm believer in five core leadership principles:
- PURPOSE — Know why you do what you do. Define your mission clearly and communicate it effectively.
- VISION — Understand where you’re headed. Use imagination and strategic thinking to shape the future.
- DELEGATION — Empower others by hiring strong talent and providing them with the support they need to succeed.
- INTEGRITY — Uphold personal and professional ethics. Treat people with respect and kindness.
- RESILIENCE — Challenges are inevitable. As Hubert’s father always said, “It’s how you overcome adversity that defines your character.”
With these principles at the core of his leadership, Hubert continues to drive Upwell Water Treatment forward, ensuring that access to clean, safe water remains a global priority.
Navigating the Complexities of Global Water Solutions
For Hubert, patience and perseverance have been among the greatest challenges in his decades-long career. Water projects are inherently long-term endeavors—large-scale initiatives that must navigate complex regulatory, financial, and technical landscapes. Governments, local communities, and multiple stakeholders each bring their own priorities, and water often competes with numerous other pressing infrastructure needs. Success requires clarity of purpose, disciplined focus, and the ability to cut through distractions while remaining steadfast in the mission.
Hubert has experienced these challenges firsthand, from leading a small, fast-growing startup where balancing payroll and expansion was a constant struggle, to managing large global organizations where the key challenges shifted to working with shareholders, investors, and government entities. Regardless of scale, the core mission has remained the same: to deliver innovative water solutions where they are needed most.
A Global Water Crisis—and the Need for Action
The world has now reached a critical tipping point—water demand is outpacing availability. Nearly half of the global population lives in water-scarce regions, and two-thirds of the world still lacks access to adequate sanitation. This crisis is only growing more urgent.
Governments have traditionally been responsible for large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure, particularly in North America and Europe. However, vast regions of the world—including large portions of the United States—lack access to centralized water and wastewater treatment systems. Decentralized water solutions are no longer just an alternative; they are the only viable path forward.
Filling the Gaps Where Governments Cannot
Recognizing this urgent need, Upwell Water was founded to step in where traditional government solutions fall short. Unlike conventional private equity firms, Upwell does not merely invest in water projects—it is a water solutions company built using private equity resources.
Upwell has taken a unique, multi-faceted approach to water management, with three key divisions:
- Water Rights & Resource Management – Upwell owns and manages some of the largest water holdings in the United States, ensuring sustainable water availability for communities and industries.
- Community Water of America – As a major owner and operator of water and wastewater utilities, Upwell is actively providing decentralized solutions to underserved regions.
- Water Treatment & Innovation – Through its diverse portfolio of companies, Upwell is driving cutting-edge water treatment solutions, including:
- Blue Brine – A leader in recovering and reusing waste materials from wastewater.
- APT- A leader in treating emerging contaminants
- DrinkUp – A pioneering company offering water-based health drinks through vending solutions.
A Unique, Integrated Approach
Upwell’s approach goes beyond conventional models. With an integrated team of engineering experts, financial specialists, and operations professionals, Upwell is uniquely positioned to identify water challenges, develop tailored solutions, and implement them seamlessly—all without requiring capital investment from the communities it serves.
This service-based model ensures that water solutions are not only technically feasible but financially viable and operationally sustainable. Upwell is not just investing in water—it is actively shaping the future of water accessibility, ensuring that safe, clean water is not a privilege, but a global standard.
With Hubert Fleming at the helm, Upwell Water Treatment continues to push the boundaries of innovation, finance, and infrastructure—delivering real solutions where they matter most.
Driving the Future of Water, Energy, and Infrastructure
Under Hubert’s leadership, Upwell Water Treatment has established itself as a leader in innovative water management in the United States. But this is only the beginning. As Upwell continues to expand, its focus is shifting toward larger, North American-scale projects—projects that will redefine the future of water infrastructure, as well as new innovations, example: water from the atmosphere systems.
At the same time, the lines between water, energy, and infrastructure are becoming increasingly blurred. The world no longer views these systems in isolation. Today’s infrastructure challenges demand interdisciplinary solutions.
Take, for example, the design and construction of a Google data center—it’s not just about computing power. It requires water resources for cooling, energy systems for operation, and seamless integration between all three. Similarly, the next generation of energy grids must incorporate water and energy management at their core. Upwell is not just responding to these changes—it is leading the charge, pioneering new ways to integrate water into the broader infrastructure ecosystem.
Leadership and the Future of Infrastructure
For Hubert, the fundamentals of leadership remain constant:
- Keep an open mind.
- Be bold.
- Embrace innovation.
He also believes that academic training should be well-rounded. While a strong technical foundation—such as engineering—is crucial, success requires much more. Effective leaders must learn to communicate, listen, and collaborate across disciplines.
As infrastructure and sustainability challenges become more complex and interconnected, solutions will require input from multiple fields. No single discipline can solve these issues alone. Success will belong to those who are willing to work across industries, break traditional silos, and build solutions that integrate technology, policy, and finance.
With this vision, Hubert continues to shape Upwell Water as both a thought leader and an implementation leader—driving the next evolution of water, energy, and infrastructure for a rapidly changing world.
Staying Grounded While Reaching for the Stars
For Hubert, success is not just about ambition or professional achievements—it’s about balance, authenticity, and staying true to one’s roots.
While his career has taken him across the world, leading multi-billion dollar projects, navigating high-stakes negotiations, and working with some of the biggest players in global infrastructure, his greatest satisfaction comes from the simplest of places—his farm, his family, and the life he built away from the boardrooms and airports.
Growing up on a mountain farm in West Virginia, in a log house, Hubert learned early the value of hard work, resilience, and community. The lessons instilled by his family—his father, mother, and grandparents—shaped his character and continue to guide him in his professional life. No matter how complex the world becomes, he believes it is critical to remember where one comes from.
Guiding Principles for Life and Leadership
Two pieces of advice have remained at the core of Hubert’s journey:
- “He who aims below the stars aims too low.”
- A lesson from a beloved teacher, this mantra has driven him to always aim high, push boundaries, and embrace challenges without fear.
- “Always remember where you came from.”
- Passed down from his family, this wisdom keeps him grounded, humble, and true to his values, no matter how fast-paced or complex the world around him becomes.
The Importance of Balance
Beyond leadership and innovation, Hubert firmly believes that personal well-being fuels professional success. In a career filled with constant travel, high-pressure decision-making, and large-scale responsibilities, he has always prioritized finding balance—staying within his personal comfort zone when possible and cherishing the moments spent at home with family and animals on his farm.
As the world grows more interconnected and demanding, Hubert’s approach serves as a reminder that staying centered—personally and professionally—is the key to long-term success.
A Career of Innovation, Recognition, and Lasting Impact
For Hubert Fleming, a lifetime spent in the water and infrastructure industry has been more than just a career—it has been an extraordinary journey shaped by innovation, collaboration, and meaningful connections.
Throughout his decades of work, Hubert has had the privilege of working alongside some of the giants of his industry—leaders, scientists, and visionaries whose contributions have shaped the way the world thinks about water and society. Each day in their company brought new challenges, fresh ideas, and an intellectually stimulating environment that made even the most complex problems exciting to solve.
From developing large-scale membranes and processes for desalination and water reuse to pioneering ultrapure water systems for hemodialysis and vaccine production, his work has directly impacted millions of lives. His leadership in some of the world’s largest water and infrastructure projects has earned recognition from governments and professional organizations across the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
Among the many professional milestones, a few moments stand out:
- Invited speaker at the United Nations—twice.
- Being invited to Nelson Mandela’s home—a profound honor and a reflection of water’s global importance.
- Delivering the Distinguished West Virginian Lecture at West Virginia University—a proud return to his academic roots, made even more special when, just before stepping on stage, his daughter called to share that he was about to become a grandfather.
Yet, beyond the awards and global recognition, the most rewarding part of his journey has been the relationships built over a lifetime. Receiving calls and messages from colleagues 30 or 40 years later, still connected by shared experiences, is a reminder of the impact made not just in technology, but in people’s lives.
Perhaps the most meaningful moments come when the sons and daughters of former colleagues introduce themselves, sharing stories of how their parents once worked alongside him. It’s a testament to the lasting bonds forged through decades of leadership, mentorship, and a shared commitment to solving one of humanity’s greatest challenges—providing clean, safe water to those who need it most.
Through it all, Hubert remains grateful—not just for the professional successes, but for the people, the experiences, and the lifelong connections that continue to shape his journey.
