Uniting capital with operator‑level rigor to scale water and resource‑recovery platforms into sustainable, high‑return investments.
Operator Rigor, Investor Speed
We marry field‑tested discipline with PE decision timelines.
Shared Risk, Shared Reward
Co‑investment and board seats align our economics with yours.ESG and Compliance Baked‑In
Permitting, PFAS diligence, and full regulatory compliance are integral, not afterthoughts.
Our Services
Pre-Deal Diligence
De‑risk the LOI in just 15 days
Technology, operations & ESG red‑flag audit
Management‑bench and market stress test
Value‑bridge report showing upside and downside drivers
Growth Blueprinting
100‑Day wins, 3‑Year scale
Market sizing and sales‑force mapping
EBITDA bridge with Quick‑Win tracker
Digital and automation roadmap for margin lift
Board‑Level Value Creation
Operator insight on a quarterly cadence
Strategy refresh and KPI heat‑map reviews
Capital‑allocation and M&A pipeline guidance
Exit readiness and investor narrative alignment
Integration PMO on Demand
Plug‑and‑play war room for roll‑up platforms
Activate when you need day‑1 readiness
Live synergy tracking
Six‑month close‑out reporting—without slowing the next acquisition.
“Eric’s operator-level insight and disciplined board guidance have been instrumental in sharpening Synagro’s growth strategy and accelerating our M&A pipeline. His ability to translate complex operational realities into investor-ready decisions is a genuine asset.”
— Bob Preston, Chief Executive Officer

Founding Story & Mission – Why “Watershed”
Watershed Growth Partners was launched at a turning point for environmental infrastructure. After leading billion-dollar water, solid-waste, and hazardous-waste businesses on four continents, Eric Gernath saw two market forces converging:
Institutional capital searching for resilient, ESG-aligned growth.
Investors who need board-level operators to validate deals and then stay engaged for execution.
Like a geographic watershed that channels scattered streams into a single, powerful flow, our mission is to unite capital, management talent, and market insight—turning complex environmental opportunities into sustainable value.
We begin by stress-testing investment theses—scope, market headroom, bench strength, sales engine—then map actionable targets through focused market surveys.
Eric’s preferred model is to support a private-equity firm during diligence, invest alongside them, and join the board, sharing both risk and reward while guiding strategy, go-to-market, and post-close integration.
Contact Us
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