Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The global water and wastewater treatment technologies market is anticipated to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 6.80% during the projection period (2024-2029).

Wastewater is produced due to an increase in various human and industrial activities. With the increased industrialization and urbanization, numerous new pollutants are deposited in the wastewater which paves the way for the use of various water and wastewater treatment technologies. Wastewater treatment is an eco-friendly process since it protects the ecosystem from contamination and employs sustainable resources.

The water and wastewater treatment technologies are categorized into three general areas: physical methods, chemical methods, and energy-intensive methods. For the physical method, filtration plays a dominant role and the technology helps separate solids and liquids. Meanwhile, chemical methods of treatment depend on the chemical interactions of various contaminants. These chemicals either aid in the separation of contaminants from the water or help assist in destroying the harmful effects of the contaminants. One of the most popular energy-intensive methods are thermal methods which help in the sterilization process of wastewater treatment technologies. The market is majorly segmented between municipal wastewater treatment and industrial water and wastewater treatment.

Under the current conditions, improved and integrated wastewater treatment technologies are crucial. This ensures high-quality water, reduced chemical and biological pollutants, and enhanced industrial production operations. However, the most viable treatment techniques are smaller in scale and lack commercial application feasibility.

GLOBAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES MARKET DRIVERS:

• According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), nearly two billion people live in countries where the water supply is inadequate. Half of the world's population especially underdeveloped and developing economies in Africa and Asia face water scarcity and there is not enough clean drinking water for everyone. It is estimated that nearly 700 million people have to relocate due to extreme water scarcity by 2030. In 2021, 1.42 billion people, which includes 450 million children lived in high or extremely high-water vulnerability areas.

Besides, there is a higher incidence of droughts and famines as a result of global warming and other factors, which have contributed to the availability of unclean water. Further, to resolve water scarcity, it is important to establish wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) to protect freshwater resources and treat industrial wastewater before releasing it into the water environment. Furthermore, in November 2023, the EPA known as the Environment Protection Agency declared the Feminization of WIFIA which stands for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and set down a loan value of US$45 million to the “South Sarpy Wastewater System Project” which was intended to offer a central wastewater treatment facility in Sarpy County. The stringent environmental regulations that are implemented by local regulatory organizations and the government to handle industrial wastewater are another factor that has a substantial influence on the market during the forecast years. For instance, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) guidelines and amendments on wastewater treatment are expected to further increase demand for water and wastewater treatment technologies.

• Product innovation and government efforts have a cooperative effect on the water and wastewater treatment technologies industry. For instance, In January 2022, BreviniTM S-Series industrial planetary gearboxes, designed to meet the durability and dependability needs of biogas production and wastewater treatment facilities, were made available, according to a press release from Dana Incorporated. In August 2023, HydraForce was introduced by Kasco to deal with standard wastewater challenges. Following the architectural enhancement of the company’s extensively used diffused aeration product range, the business has developed Lift Station Agitator, a novel, innovative mixing tool, targeted specifically towards the wastewater industry.  

Major firms provide unique and advanced-level sensing technologies for the water treatment management and processing sector. For Instance, Setra, one of the major players in the market, provides level pressure sensors for the wastewater processing industry. The company’s liquid-level sensors play a crucial and major role in effluent tanks for clean water and wastewater and pump stations for irrigation systems.

Government measures, such as environmental regulations and water quality standards, act as market development accelerators by demanding compliance and encouraging investment in advanced treatment facilities. For instance, governments and authorities have launched initiatives like the Global Wastewater Initiative by UNEP, Water Resources Management by World Bank Group, etc., worldwide to pay attention to this rising concern which has opened opportunities for the water and wastewater treatment technologies market. Furthermore, in March 2023, North Macedonia and the European Investment Bank agreed on a €70 million European Union (EU) investment grant for the respective country. The key objective of the grant was to contribute to the development of the wastewater treatment plant in Skopje. The grant also funded the construction of the plant, making it the largest EU investment grant for Macedonia.

GLOBAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES MARKET SEGMENT ANALYSIS:

By product type, filtration is one of the most popular segments.

During filtration, various filters having different pores are used to pass water. These filters help remove dissolved particles and germs. Filtration is further bifurcated into particle filtration and membrane filtration. Particle filtration is a technique for separating particles and liquids using physical or mechanical processes. Particle filtration is typically one of the initial steps in the treatment of polluted wastewater. Membrane filtration is often employed when particle filtration alone is insufficient for water reuse. The treatment and processes necessary to process the water vary substantially depending on the ultimate aim.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2021, 92.90% of the total population in Australia was connected to wastewater treatment plants, whereas in Chile 100% of the population was connected. These connections are in turn fueling the filtration technique for water and wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, countries like South Africa and Israel are still developing systems to connect more people to wastewater treatment plants.

Asia Pacific's water and wastewater treatment technologies market is anticipated to grow significantly.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the leading market for water and wastewater treatment technologies globally, supported by high demand from India and China. India and China have about 35.5% of the world's population, yet their limited water reserves account for only 4% and 7%, respectively.

China has set a target to treat 95% of the wastewater in all their cities and increase the water reuse rate to 25% in areas with water scarcity. China released nearly 59 billion cubic meters of wastewater in 2023, out of which around 28% was contributed by industrial sources. As of 2021, China's wastewater treatment plants serve 98.1% of municipalities and 28% of rural regions. China has planned to open or reconstruct 80,000 km of sewage-collecting pipeline networks in the upcoming years as per the International Trade Administration. Second and third-tier cities will have opportunities in the maintenance of sewage pipelines and the treatment of black and odorous water bodies, as well as the construction of wastewater treatment plants with the policy support and investment focus of China. China's industrial wastewater treatment and increasing need for water and wastewater treatment technologies are expected to fuel the growth.

Along with this, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Indian cities treat only 28% of the 72.36 billion liters per day (MLD) of wastewater. Nearly 72% of the wastewater remains untreated and is disposed of in rivers, lakes, and groundwater. There is a significant gap in the wastewater generated and treated and to address this issue the government is taking steps and convert the wastewater into a valuable resource. Comprehensively, the growth in government initiatives and the rise in wastewater treatment plants are anticipated to positively impact the regional market growth.

Market Share Analysis

The market is partly fragmented with the top 5 players accounting for less than 30% of the market. The major players in the market include Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Veolia, DuPont, Ecolab, and SUEZ.

Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies Market Key Developments:

• In February 2024, the ABB Ability Energy Management for Water and Wastewater OPTIMAX solution was introduced to the industry to help identify avoidable energy losses inside facilities.
• In July 2023, the Aquarius UV Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) from Wärtsilä Water and Waste was introduced with an entirely new filtering system. The "Manta" filter, created by FilterSafe, a partner of Wärtsilä Water and Waste, has a unique OneMotion scanner that cleans the screen in just one revolution. Experiments have demonstrated that even with dense dirt loads, the "Manta" filter can effectively and quickly clean screens.
• In May 2023, Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced that it has signed an agreement with Siemens Energy to acquire assets from their water and wastewater treatment technologies portfolio, including intellectual property and copyrights, trade secrets, and research and development properties.
• In March 2023, the TADOX Technology and Trademark License (TTLA) Agreement was signed by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Dew Projects and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd, Noida, to commercialize TERI's patented wastewater treatment technology for the treatment and reuse of municipal and industrial wastewater.

The global water and wastewater treatment technologies market is segmented and analyzed as follows:

By Type

• Filtration
• Advanced Oxidation Processes
• Desalination
• Biological Treatment
• Disinfection
• Others

By End-User Industry

• Municipal Water and Wastewater Treatment
• Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment

By Geography

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Rest of South America
• Europe
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Rest of Middle East and Africa
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific