Description of the Company and Basis of Presentation - (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Collaborative Arrangement and Arrangement Other than Collaborative [Line Items]

Basis of presentation

Basis of PresentationThe accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) from the accounting records of the Company and reflect the consolidated financial position and results of operations for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019. Unless otherwise specified, references in this section to a year refer to its fiscal year. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Fiscal Year

Fiscal YearThe Company’s fiscal year ends on September 30.

Use of estimates

Use of Estimates

The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP and require management to make estimates and assumptions. These assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates and assumptions are used for, but not limited to: (i) revenue recognition; (ii) allowance for credit losses; (iii) inventory valuation, asset valuations, impairment, and recoverability assessments; (iv) depreciable lives of assets; (v) useful lives of intangible assets; (vi) income tax reserves and valuation allowances; and (vii) product warranty and litigation reserves. Estimates are revised as additional information becomes available. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are liquid investments with an original maturity of three or fewer months when purchased.

Accounts receivable

Accounts Receivable

Receivables are primarily comprised of uncollected amounts owed to the Company from transactions with customers and are reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at the outstanding principal amount adjusted for any allowance for credit losses and any charge offs. The Company provides an allowance for credit losses to reduce trade receivables to their estimated net realizable value equal to the amount that is expected to be collected. This allowance is estimated based on historical collection experience, the aging of receivables, specific current and expected future macroeconomic and market conditions, and assessments of the current creditworthiness and economic status of customers. The Company considers a receivable delinquent if it is unpaid after the term of the related invoice has expired. Write‑offs are recorded at the time all collection efforts have been exhausted. The Company reviews its allowance for credit losses on a quarterly basis.

Inventories

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, where cost is generally determined on the basis of an average or first‑in, first‑out (“FIFO”) method. Production costs comprise direct material and labor and applicable manufacturing overheads, including depreciation charges. The Company regularly reviews inventory quantities on hand and writes off excess or obsolete inventory based on estimated forecasts of product demand and production requirements. Manufacturing operations recognize cost of product sales using standard costing rates with overhead absorption which generally approximates actual cost.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, Plant, and Equipment

Property, plant, and equipment is valued at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation expense is recognized using the straight‑line method. Useful lives are reviewed annually and, if expectations differ from previous estimates, adjusted accordingly. Estimated useful lives for major classes of depreciable assets are as follows:

Asset Class	Estimated Useful Life
Machinery and equipment	3 to 20 years
Buildings and improvements	10 to 40 years

Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of their estimated useful life or the term of the lease. Costs related to maintenance and repairs that do not extend the assets’ useful life are expensed as incurred.

Acquisitions

AcquisitionsAcquisitions are recorded using the purchase method of accounting. The purchase price of acquisitions is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair value at the acquisition date. The excess of the acquisition price over those estimated fair values is recorded as goodwill. Changes to the acquisition date preliminary fair values prior to the expiration of the measurement period, a period not to exceed 12 months from date of acquisition, are recorded as an adjustment to the associated goodwill. Contingent consideration resulting from acquisitions is recorded at its estimated fair value on the acquisition date. These obligations are revalued during each subsequent reporting period and changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration obligations can result from adjustments in the probability of achieving future development steps, sales targets and profitability and are recorded in General and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Acquisition-related expenses and restructuring costs, if any, are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill and other intangible assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents purchase consideration paid in a business combination that exceeds the value assigned to the net assets of acquired businesses. Intangible assets consist of customer‑related intangibles, proprietary technology, software, trademarks, and other intangible assets. The Company amortizes intangible assets with definite useful lives on a straight‑line basis over their respective estimated economic lives which range from 1 to 26 years.

The Company reviews goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets to determine potential impairment annually during the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Impairment testing for goodwill is performed at a reporting unit level and the Company has determined that it has three reporting units. The quantitative impairment testing for goodwill utilizes both a market (guideline public company) and income (discounted cash flows) method for determining fair value. In estimating the fair value of the reporting unit utilizing a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) valuation technique, the Company incorporates its judgment and estimates of future cash flows, future revenue and gross profit growth rates, terminal value amount, capital expenditures and applicable weighted‑average cost of capital used to discount these estimated cash flows. The estimates and projections used in the estimate of fair value are consistent with the Company’s current budget and long‑range plans, including anticipated change in market conditions, industry trend, growth rates and planned capital expenditures, among other considerations.

The impairment test for indefinite-lived intangibles consists of a comparison of the asset’s fair value with its carrying value. The fair value is calculated using the income approach DCF method. Impairment is determined to exist when the fair value is less than the carrying value of the assets being tested.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Impairment of Long‑Lived Assets

Long‑lived assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, purchased intangibles and lease right-of-use assets subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. Recoverability of the asset or asset group is measured by comparison of its carrying amount to undiscounted future net cash flows the asset or asset group is expected to generate.

If the carrying amount of an asset or asset group is not recoverable, the Company recognizes an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount of the asset or asset group over its respective fair value which is generally determined as the present value of estimated future cash flows or as the appraised value.

Debt Issuance Costs And Debt Discounts

Debt Issuance Costs and Debt Discounts

Debt issuance costs are capitalized and amortized over the contractual term of the underlying debt using the effective interest method. Debt discounts and lender arrangement fees deducted from the proceeds have been included as a component of the carrying value of debt and are being amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes sales of products and services based on the five-step analysis of transactions as provided in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.

For sales of aftermarket parts or products with a low level of customization and engineering time, the Company recognizes revenue at the time risks and rewards of ownership pass, which is generally when products are shipped or delivered to the customer as the Company has no obligation for installation. The Company considers shipping and handling services to be fulfillment activities and as such they do not represent separate performance obligations for revenue recognition. Sales of short‑term service arrangements are recognized as the services are performed, and sales of long‑term service arrangements are typically recognized on a straight‑line basis over the life of the agreement.

For certain arrangements where there is significant customization to the product and for long-term construction-type sales contracts, revenue may be recognized over time. These arrangements include large capital water treatment projects, systems, and solutions for municipal and industrial applications. The nature of the contracts is generally fixed price with milestone billings. Contract revenue and cost estimates are reviewed and revised quarterly at a minimum and the cumulative effect of such adjustments are recognized in current operations. The amount of such adjustments has not been material. Contract assets relate to costs incurred to perform in advance of scheduled billings. Contract liabilities relate to payments received in advance of performance under the contracts. Change in contract assets and liabilities are due to the Company’s performance under the contract.

The Company has made accounting policy elections to exclude all taxes by governmental authorities from the measurement of the transaction price and that long-term construction-type sales contracts, or those contracts for products with significant customization that the total contract price is less than $100 will be recorded at the point in time when the construction is complete.

The recording of assets recognized from the costs to obtain and fulfill customer contracts primarily relate to the deferral of sales commissions. The Company’s costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer are classified as non-current assets and amortized to expense over the period of benefit of the related revenue. These costs are recorded within Cost of product sales and services. The amount of contract costs was insignificant at September 30, 2021.

The Company offers standard warranties that generally do not represent a separate performance obligation. In certain instances, a warranty is obtained separately from the original equipment sale or the warranty provides incremental services and as such is treated as a separate performance obligation.

Variable consideration in contracts for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 was insignificant.

Derivatives, Policy

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company’s risk-management strategy uses derivative financial instruments to manage interest rate risk, foreign currency exchange rate risk, equity price risk and commodity price risk. The Company does not enter into derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.

The Company accounts for derivatives and hedging activities in accordance with ASC Topic No. 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“Topic No. 815”). As required by Topic No. 815, the Company records all derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value and adjusts to market on a quarterly basis. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recorded in earnings or Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (“AOCI”), based on whether the instrument is designated and effective as a hedge transaction. Gains and losses on derivative instruments recorded to AOCI are reclassified to earnings in the period the hedged item affects earnings.

The Company’s interest rate swaps are valued based on readily-observable market inputs, such as quotations on interest rates and LIBOR yield curves at the reporting date. The Company’s foreign currency forward contracts are valued based on quoted forward foreign exchange prices and spot rates at the reporting date. The Company’s total return swaps are valued using closing stock prices at the reporting date.

Product warranties

Product Warranties

Accruals for estimated expenses related to warranties are made at the time products are sold and are recorded as a component of Cost of product sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The estimated warranty obligation is based on product warranty terms offered to customers, ongoing product failure rates, material usage and service delivery costs expected to be incurred in correcting a product failure, as well as specific obligations for known failures and other currently available evidence. The Company assesses the adequacy of the recorded warranty liabilities on a regular basis and adjusts amounts as necessary.

The Company accrues warranty obligations associated with certain products as revenue is recognized. Provisions for the warranty obligations are based upon historical experience of costs incurred for such obligations, adjusted for site‑specific risk factors, and, as necessary, for current conditions and factors. There are significant uncertainties and judgments involved in estimating warranty obligations, including changing product designs, differences in customer installation processes and future claims experience which may vary from historical claims experience.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are provided against deferred tax assets when it is considered more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized within a reasonable time period. The Company assesses tax positions using a two‑step process. A tax position is recognized if it meets a more‑likely‑than‑not threshold and is measured at the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than 50% percent likelihood of being realized. Uncertain tax positions are reviewed each balance sheet date.

Foreign currency translations and transactions

Foreign Currency Translation and TransactionsThe functional currency for the international subsidiaries is the local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using current rates of exchange, with the resulting translation adjustments recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax within shareholders’ equity.

Research and Development Costs

Research and Development CostsResearch and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Equity-based compensation

Equity‑based Compensation

The Company measures the cost of awards of equity instruments to employees based on the grant‑date fair value of the award. The grant‑date fair value of a non-qualified stock option is determined using the Black‑Scholes model. The grant-date fair value of restricted stock unit awards is determined using the closing price of the Company’s common stock on date of grant. As there is a market condition associated with the award, the grant-date fair value of the performance share units was determined using a Monte Carlo Simulation. Compensation costs resulting from equity-based payment transactions are recognized primarily within General and administrative expenses, at fair value over the requisite vesting period on a straight-line basis.

Earnings per share

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Basic earnings (loss) per common share is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock, plus the effect of diluted common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method. Diluted potential common shares include outstanding stock options.

Retirement benefits

Retirement Benefits

The Company applies ASC Topic 715, Compensation—Retirement Benefits, which requires the recognition in pension obligations and accumulated other comprehensive income of actuarial gains or losses, prior service costs or credits and transition assets or obligations that have previously been deferred. The determination of retirement benefit pension obligations and associated costs requires the use of actuarial computations to estimate participant plan benefits to which the employees will be entitled. The significant assumptions primarily relate to discount rates, expected long‑term rates of return on plan assets, rate of future compensation increases, mortality, years of service, and other factors. The Company develops each assumption using relevant experience in conjunction with market‑related data for each individual country in which such plans exist. All actuarial assumptions are reviewed annually with third‑party consultants and adjusted as necessary. For the recognition of net periodic postretirement cost, the calculation of the expected return on plan assets is generally derived by applying the expected long‑term rate of return on the market‑related value of plan assets. The fair value of plan assets is determined based on actual market prices or estimated fair value at the measurement date.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, and also issued subsequent amendments to the initial guidance (collectively, “Topic 848”). Topic 848 became effective immediately and expires on December 21, 2022. Topic 848 allows eligible contracts that are modified to be accounted for as a continuation of those contracts, permits companies to preserve their hedging accounting during the transition period and enables companies to make a one-time election to transfer or sell held-to-maturity debt securities that are affected by rate reform. Topic 848 provides optional expedients and exceptions for contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The Company is currently assessing the impact of adoption on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.

Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted

The Company adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments on October 1, 2020 (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 requires entities to use a new forward-looking “expected loss” model that reflects expected credit losses, including credit losses related to trade receivables, and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates, which generally will result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 using a modified retrospective approach and determined that there was no cumulative-effect adjustment to its beginning Retained deficit on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. See Note 7, “Accounts Receivable” for further details and related disclosures.

The following accounting pronouncements were adopted by the Company on October 1, 2020, and the adoptions did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements or disclosures:

Accounting Standards Updates

ASU 2020-03, Codification Improvements to Financial Instruments

ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses

ASU 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808) Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606

ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Subtopic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement

Shipping and Handling Cost

Collaborative Arrangement and Arrangement Other than Collaborative [Line Items]

Revenue Recognition

Shipping and Handling Cost

Shipping and handling costs are included as a component of Cost of product sales.