Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Activated Sludge, Sludge Treatment), By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The global secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market size was valued at USD 22.20 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9% from 2020 to 2027. Growing demand for wastewater treatment plants coupled with stringent regulations pertaining to wastewater treatment is anticipated to drive the market growth. Secondary treatment typically utilizes biological processes that use bacteria to remove pollutants. The main purpose of secondary wastewater treatment is to remove the suspended and dissolved organic matter from the wastewater to produce an environmentally-safe effluent. This treatment consists of microorganisms that are either attached to a media or are in mixed suspension in a basin, where the organic material is broken down and consumed by the microorganisms.

The U.S. dominated the North America secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market in 2019 on account of developed wastewater treatment infrastructure in the country coupled with stringent effluent regulations. Federal regulations such as the Clean Water Act that establish a regulatory framework for pollutant discharges in water bodies is expected to have a positive impact on market growth in the country.

Secondary wastewater treatment processes can be aerobic or anaerobic. Aerobic processes convert the organic contaminants into carbon dioxide, water, and other end products and are typically used for municipal wastewater treatment. On the other hand, anaerobic processes are used to treat high strength wastewaters and convert the organic contaminants into biofuel gas that comprises methane, carbon dioxide, and other end products.

A growing population, coupled with rapid urbanization, is anticipated to drive the demand for critical infrastructure, including wastewater treatment plants. In addition, new housing developments, most notably in the developing countries, are likely to exert pressure on the existing wastewater treatment infrastructure, thereby driving the need for either capacity expansion of existing plants or construction of new wastewater treatment plants.

In addition, depleting freshwater resources coupled with rising water scarcity, increasing water demand from households, and industries is expected to increase the focus on wastewater reuse as a viable method for integrated water management, thereby preserving and extending the availability of water supplies. Thus, the factors mentioned above are likely to have a positive impact on the overall market growth over the forecast period.

Technology Insights

Activated sludge led the market and accounted for a 44.5% share of the global revenue in 2019. A number of variations of the activated sludge process such as plug-flow, complete-mix activated sludge, contact stabilization, step feed, oxidation ditches, sequencing batch reactors (SBR), and membrane bioreactors (MBR) are used for the secondary treatment of the wastewater.

MBR is an advanced wastewater treatment system that combines the activated sludge process with membrane filtration to provide more effective removal of organic and suspended solids. MBRs allow advanced level filtration, thereby delivering high-quality effluent. Increasing demand for efficient and high capacity wastewater treatment systems is expected to propel the demand for MBRs over the forecast period.

The sludge treatment technology segment is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2020 to 2027. Sludge treatment includes processes such as sludge thickening, sludge digestion, sludge drying, and sludge dewatering. Sludge thickening is typically the first step in the sludge treatment process and is usually carried out in a gravity thickener. Another alternative method for gravity thickening is dissolved air flotation.

Other types of equipment used for secondary wastewater treatment include trickling filters, Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge (IFAS), Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR), rotating biological contactor, and others. MBBR system uses a combination of two processes, namely activated sludge process and biofilter process. The system typically consists of aeration tanks that are filled with biofilm carriers, followed by a secondary clarifier system.

Application Insights

Municipal led the market and accounted for 64.5% of the global revenue share in 2019. Factors including rapid urbanization, most notably in the emerging economies coupled with rapid housing infrastructural development are anticipated to drive the demand for wastewater treatment plants, which, in turn, is likely to have a positive impact on market growth over the forecast period.

In addition, aging wastewater treatment infrastructure in the developed countries is expected to increase investments for upgrading or expanding the existing wastewater treatment capacities. This is anticipated to open new avenues for advanced and more efficient wastewater treatment equipment such as MBR, MBBR, IFAS, and others, thereby fueling the overall market growth over the forecast period.

The industrial application segment is anticipated to witness expand at a CAGR of 4.3% over the forecast period. Rapid industrialization in developing countries coupled with stringent regulations for the disposal of wastewater into the environment from various industries is anticipated to drive the demand for secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment in the forthcoming years.

Water is utilized in several industrial processes, including manufacturing, power generation, and agriculture, among others. Chemicals and byproducts are often induced in the water as runs through these processes owing to which industrial wastewater treatment is of utmost importance to remove the bacteria, solids, oil and grease, and other substances before the wastewater is either reused or discharged into the environment.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific dominated the market and accounted for 35.5% share of global revenue in 2019, on account of growing population coupled with rapid urbanization, and industrial growth in developing countries in the region such as China, and India has also increased the volume of wastewater generated thereby augmenting the need for more wastewater treatment capacities/ plants. This, in turn, is anticipated to benefit the overall market growth in the region.

The secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment demand in North America is expected to witness expand at a CAGR of 2.9% over the forecast period. Stringent regulations for discharges from municipal and industrial sectors coupled with ongoing investments within the oil and gas, chemical, and petrochemical industries are expected to drive the demand in the forthcoming years.

The increasing need for rehabilitation and upgrading the existing wastewater treatment infrastructure in Europe is expected to have a positive impact on the demand. In addition, factors such as changes in population, climate change, and newly emerging pollutants are expected to increase the demand for sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment solutions, thereby benefitting the regional market growth.

Increasing efforts to enhance the wastewater treatment coverage on account of requirements of environmental regulations, and growing population are likely to drive the demand for secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment in the Central and South America region. In addition, growing focus on increasing the private sector participation to improve the financial and technological capacity of public utility companies is expected to benefit the market growth.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The global market comprises of both global and regional players that are engaged in the designing, manufacturing, and distribution of various secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment. Different strategies usually adopted by the market participants usually include new product developments, expansions, and mergers and acquisitions to increase their market penetration, and cater to the changing technological requirements from the application industries. The market is highly competitive in nature and is dependent on new product developments and technological advancements. Market participants are focusing on optimum business growth by implementing various growth strategies. They are forming strategic partnerships with players to provide technological expertise for industrial wastewater treatment in sectors, including oil and gas and food and beverages, among others. Some of the prominent players in the secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market include:

• Xylem Inc.

• Evoqua Water Technologies LLC

• Pentair plc

• Aquatech International LLC

• SUEZ

• Veolia

• Ecolab Inc.

• Ovivo

• Toshiba Water Solutions Private Limited

• Ecologix Environmental Systems, LLC

• Parkson Corporation

• Lenntech B.V.

• H₂O Innovation

• Samco Technologies, Inc.

• Koch Membrane Systems, Inc.

Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market report on the basis of technology, application, and region:

• Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Activated Sludge

  • Sludge Treatment

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Municipal

  • Industrial

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • The U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • UAE

    • Saudi Arabia