The global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market is valued at USD 266 Billion in 2023 and is expected to grow from USD 284 Billion in 2024 to USD 475 Billion in 2031 growing at a CAGR of 7.6%.
Water is a vital natural resource on which all life on Earth depends. Water treatment is the process used to remove contaminants from raw water sources to produce clean and safe drinking water. Water used for any industrial, commercial, or residential purpose becomes wastewater. It includes human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps, and chemicals. Wastewater treatment is a step-by-step procedure to remove pollutants and contaminants from used water, which can be released back into the environment. It involves three stages primary, secondary, and tertiary. Water or wastewater treatment depends on several unit operations combined to make a process. Many modern water and wastewater treatment facilities use advanced technologies such as membrane filtration, ultraviolet disinfection, and ozone treatment to achieve high-quality water and wastewater treatment.
The global water and wastewater treatment market growth is mainly attributed to factors such as the strict water treatment regulation & initiatives by the government, growing demand for new water resources, rising incidence of waterborne diseases, and growing focus on public health & water quality.
In addition, increasing demand for energy-efficient and cutting-edge water treatment technology and rapid urbanization & population growth are also driving the market growth during the forecast period. Despite these drivers, high installation & operational costs, outdated infrastructure in developed nations, and volatility in raw material prices are major restraints hampering the market growth.
Moreover, the emergence of smart water treatment systems, technological advancements, and growing demand for wastewater recycling offer profitable opportunities to the market during the forecast period.
In terms of regions, North America is estimated to hold a significant market share during the forecast period due to the high demand for treated water from the pharmaceutical, and beverage industries in countries like the U.S. On the other side, nations like China, India, and Southeast Asia have invested much in upgrading the Asia Pacific water quality and sanitation facilities. The restoration of the current water treatment services and the maintenance of the regional infrastructure will improve the European market and encourage innovative wastewater treatment technologies in the next years.
Growing Demand for Wastewater Recycling and Zero Discharge System:
With the rising global population and water scarcity, sustainable water management has become a priority. The focus has shifted towards reducing water usage, reusing wastewater, and optimizing water treatment processes to minimize energy consumption and environmental impact. The advent of wastewater recycling and zero discharge systems is becoming more popular and widely accepted as new technologies such as SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor) and MBR (Membrane Bioreactor) based treatment.
Globally, up to 4% of energy consumption is used by wastewater treatment plants, and only 20% of these plants are treating their water adequately. Water recycling is reusing treated wastewater for beneficial purposes such as agriculture and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing, and replenishing groundwater recharge. An advanced and well-designed zero liquid discharge system recovers around 95% of liquid waste for reuse and can retrieve valuable byproducts such as salts and brines, reducing operational costs. Conventional wastewater treatment systems often result in brine waste and loss of valuable materials.
Drivers
Rapid Population Growth & Rising Urbanization:
Around 56% of the world’s population lives in cities, and this trend is estimated to continue, doubling its current size by 2050. Due to rising urbanization, there has been a significant increase in the demand for consumption of water. Population and economic growth have driven a rapid rise in demand for water resources. Especially in low- and middle-income countries, rapid urbanization has created various water-related challenges, including degraded water quality and inadequate water supply and sanitation infrastructure, particularly in expanding peri-urban and informal settlements.
With the rapid growth in the global population and urbanization, the global demand for water supply and sanitation services is also expanding. Rapid urbanization offers opportunities for economic development but also increases the use of freshwater resources.
Demand for Clean and Safe Water:
The demand for quality freshwater and its supply, particularly for domestic and industrial purposes, is decreasing due to urbanization and inefficient conventional wastewater treatment processes. Over the years, conventional wastewater treatment processes have been used in treating effluents to meet standard discharge requirements. However, advancements in treatments are necessary to render treated wastewater for reuse in the industrial, agricultural, and domestic sectors. The water industry is important for providing clean and safe water to the global population by disinfecting drinking water, treating wastewater, and desalinating seawater. Much like wastewater treatment, access to safe drinking water is considerably higher in developed regions. In addition, access to safely managed drinking water is lowest in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa.
Market Challenges
High Installation, Equipment and Operating Costs:
Despite the many advantages of water and wastewater treatment, the installation of water & wastewater treatment equipment is a bit costly. The high installation cost and operating costs are one of the major restraints hampering market growth. Disinfection technologies such as chemical treatment through chlorine gas require huge water storage to be treated. Such infrastructure and equipment could be much higher in developed countries. Wastewater treatment plant construction costs are site-specific and influenced by various factors, such as location, size, project type, and cost of labour and materials. The capital costs include unit construction, treatment units & equipment, land costs, engineering, administration, and others. Ozonation and UV equipment are costly for small-scale industrial applications. Developed countries in Europe and North America have applied ozonation and UV equipment for municipal sectors.
Upgrading and Repairing Aging Water Infrastructure:
Developed countries mostly face the challenge of ageing infrastructure due to water treatment infrastructure-built decades ago and still using these old systems. High investments are required in reinstalling and upgrading these old infrastructures. In general, water & wastewater treatment systems have 70 to 80 years of service period. Several times, many water & wastewater treatments plants have ended their useful lives.
Building a wastewater collection system on a greenfield site is usually less expensive than upgrading a treatment plant. This is because the treatment plant must continue treating sewage throughout the upgrade. Construction must be done in a specific order and on a tighter timeline to prevent service interruptions. This puts additional constraints on contractors. They may also need to introduce temporary treatment methods during construction to maintain the treatment standards, complicating the design.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Players
Market Segmentation
Water and Wastewater Treatment Market, By Segment
Water and Wastewater Treatment Market, By Service
Water and Wastewater Treatment Market, By End-User
Water and Wastewater Treatment Market, By Geography
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GLOBALWATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT INDUSTRY
1.1. Market Scope and Definition
1.2. Study Assumptions
2. WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET LATEST TRENDS, DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES, 2024-2031
2.1. Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Latest Trends
2.1.1. Growing Demand for Wastewater Recycling and Zero Discharge System:
2.1.2. Increasing Adoption of Novel and Traditional Treatment Combination:
2.1.3. Treatment of Emerging Pollutants & Desalination as an Option:
2.1.4. Growing Demand for Energy Efficient Advanced Water Treatment Technologies:
2.1.5. Emergence of Smart Water Treatment Systems:
2.2. Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Insights, 2024-2031
2.2.1. Leading Water and Wastewater Treatment Segments, 2024-2031
2.2.2. Dominant Water and Wastewater Treatment Service, 2024-2031
2.2.3. Leading Water and Wastewater Treatment End-User, 2024-2031
2.2.4. Fast-Growing Geographies for Water and Wastewater Treatment, 2024-2031
2.3. Water and Wastewater Treatment Demand Drivers to 2031
2.3.1. Rapid Population Growth & Rising Urbanization:
2.3.2. Demand for Clean and Safe Water:
2.3.3. Increasing Development Practices & Agricultural Practices:
2.3.4. Strict Government Regulations & Initiatives Regarding the Treatment of Wastewater:
2.3.5. Surging Pulp & Paper Industries and Oil & Gas Industry:
2.4. Water and Wastewater Treatment Challenges to 2031
2.4.1. High Installation, Equipment and Operating Costs:
2.4.2. Upgrading and Repairing Aging Water Infrastructure:
2.4.3. Fluctuating Prices of Raw Materials:
2.5. Water and Wastewater Treatment Market-Five Forces Analysis
3. GLOBAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET VALUE, MARKET SHARE, AND FORECAST to 2031
3.1. Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Overview, 2024
3.2. Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Segment, 2024-2031
3.2.1. Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals
3.2.2. Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment
3.2.3. Water and Wastewater Treatment Services
3.3. Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Service, 2024-2031
3.3.1. Design & Engineering
3.3.2. Building & Installation
3.3.3. Operation & Process Control
3.3.4. Maintenance
3.3.5. Others
3.4. Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By End-User, 2024-2031
3.4.1. Municipal Drinking
3.4.2. Municipal Wastewater Treatment
3.4.3. Energy and Chemicals
3.4.4. Food & Beverage
3.4.5. Other End-Users
3.5. Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Region, 2024-2031
4. NORTH AMERICA WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET VALUE, MARKET SHARE, AND FORECAST to 2031
4.1. North America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Overview, 2024
4.2. North America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Segment, 2024-2031
4.3. North America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Service, 2024-2031
4.4. North America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by End-User, 2024-2031
4.5. North America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Country, 2024-2031
4.5.1. United States
4.5.2. Canada
4.5.3. Mexico
5. EUROPE WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET VALUE, MARKET SHARE, AND FORECAST to 2031
5.1. Europe Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Overview, 2024
5.2. Europe Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Segment, 2024-2031
5.3. Europe Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Service, 2024-2031
5.4. Europe Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by End-User, 2024-2031
5.5. Europe Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Country, 2024-2031
5.5.1. Germany
5.5.2. France
5.5.3. UK
5.5.4. Italy
5.5.5. Spain
5.5.6. Rest of Europe
6. ASIA PACIFIC WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET VALUE, MARKET SHARE AND FORECAST to 2031
6.1. Asia Pacific Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Overview, 2024
6.2. Asia Pacific Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Segment, 2024-2031
6.3. Asia Pacific Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Service, 2024-2031
6.4. Asia Pacific Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by End-User, 2024-2031
6.5. Asia Pacific Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Country, 2024-2031
6.5.1. China
6.5.2. Japan
6.5.3. India
6.5.4. Rest of Asia Pacific
7. SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET VALUE, MARKET SHARE AND FORECAST to 2031
7.1. South and Central America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Overview, 2024
7.2. South and Central America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Segment, 2024-2031
7.3. South and Central America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Service, 2024-2031
7.4. South and Central America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by End-User, 2024-2031
7.5. South and Central America Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Country, 2024-2031
7.5.1. Brazil
7.5.2. Argentina
7.5.3. Rest of South and Central America
8. MIDDLE EAST AFRICA WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET VALUE, MARKET SHARE AND FORECAST to 2031
8.1. Middle East Africa Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Overview, 2024
8.2. Middle East Africa Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Segment, 2024-2031
8.3. Middle East Africa Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook, By Service, 2024-2031
8.4. Middle East Africa Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by End-User, 2024-2031
8.5. Middle East Africa Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size and Share Outlook by Country, 2024-2031
8.5.1. Middle East
8.5.2. Africa
9. WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET STRUCTURE
DOW Water & Process Solutions
eVOQUA Water Technologies
Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
Pentair PLC
Veolia Environnement S.A.
Hydranautics
Koch Membrane Systems Inc
Memstar Pte Ltd.
MICRODYN-NADIR GmbH
OVIVO Inc
Pall Corporation
10. APPENDIX
10.1. About Us
10.2. Sources
10.3. Research Methodology
10.4. Contact Information
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