U.S. Liquid Waste Management Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Category (CWT, Onsite Facilities), By Waste Type (Residential, Commercial), By Source, By Services, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The U.S. liquid waste management market size was estimated at USD 26.29 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.6% from 2023 to 2030. The growth is attributed to the expanding industrial manufacturing sector leading to rising wastewater and liquid waste generation and the requirement for waste management. The outbreak of COVID-19 had a mixed impact on the industry’s growth. Government restrictions and lockdowns resulted in a halt in industrial production and negatively affected industrial liquid waste management, while municipal wastewater generation had a positive impact. Over the forecast period, the market is expected to exhibit promising growth.

The U.S. government is actively focusing on growing wastewater management infrastructure across the country. The residential connections to the wastewater treatment facilities are expanding with investments in the construction of pipelines in countryside regions. Moreover, new wastewater treatment plants are being constructed across the country.

In August 2020, the U.S. government launched an initiative to close the gap between wastewater treatment access. For 11 rural communities across the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture jointly launched a pilot project to provide solutions for unmet sanitation needs. This pilot project is expected to also enhance the wastewater management system for these communities.

Furthermore, wastewater from the industrial sector contains heavy metals and chemical components, like lead, arsenic, and mercury, which tend to be harmful to humans and the environment. Rising concerns over the environmental impact of such toxic contaminants present in industrial wastewater discharge are increasingly driving the U.S. liquid waste management market.   

New stringent regulations for industrial as well as commercial sectors limiting the chemicals and toxic compounds concentration in the discharge wastewater are likely to drive the growth of the U.S. liquid waste management market. For instance, in 2021, EPA announced new wastewater regulations with new effluent limitations for poultry, metal finishing, and the plastics & fibers industry.

Waste Type Insights

The residential segment dominated the U.S. liquid waste management market with around 43% revenue share in 2022. The residential segment contributed majorly to the country’s liquid waste generation from the activities of bathing, cooking, toilet flushing, laundry, etc. The generated liquid waste is collected via the sewer network and efficiently transported to the treatment facilities.

According to the U.S. EPA, over 75% of the population in the country is connected to the proper wastewater treatment facilities. While most of the remaining population uses septic tanks and other onsite systems to treat and dispose of the wastewater produced at home. However, U.S. EPA estimates that around 20% of the facilities in small communities carry out improper wastewater treatment.

The commercial sector is expected to witness a significant CAGR of around 2.0% over the forecast period. The growing number of restaurants & cafes, swimming pools & recreational facilities, medical facilities, and other commercial buildings are likely to contribute to the growth of waste generated and liquid waste management services.

The industrial segment is also estimated to witness significant growth over the forecast period. The growing manufacturing activities, mining, and energy sector are expected to drive the need for wastewater treatment under the regulations.

Category Insights

The CWT, centralized waste treatment facilities held the largest revenue share of over 77% in 2022. According to the U.S. EPA, centralized waste treatment facilities are the main wastewater treatment plants that treat 34 billion gallons of wastewater every day. Centralized treatment plants are large-scale facilities that treat wastewater and serve large municipal or regional areas.

These centralized treatment facilities treat both municipal and industrial wastewater from manufacturing and production factories. The objective of the CWT facilities is to reduce the levels of contaminants and other toxic trace elements before it is released into the environment to the surface water bodies.

The onsite facilities segment is expected to witness a significant CAGR of over 2% during the forecast period. The increasing awareness about the health and environmental benefits of proper sanitation practices is likely to drive the use of onsite treatment systems in rural areas. According to U.S. EPA, in rural areas, 20% of the facilities still depend on improper waste management.

The U.S. government is taking initiatives to provide onsite systems, such as septic tanks to improve the sanitation system. Moreover, stringent regulations as well as water scarcity are forcing manufacturers to construct and implement onsite wastewater treatment facilities. This is expected to drive the demand for the onsite systems and growth of the segment over the forecast period.

Source Insights

Municipal source held the largest revenue share of over 71% in 2022. A high amount of wastewater is generated per person in the U.S. due to activities at home and other places. The municipal segment comprises residential and commercial wastewater, which is generated by everyday human activities at houses, offices, and other commercial buildings.  

The textile industry is also a significant source of wastewater generation. The industry requires a vast amount of water for the dyeing process, resulting in chemicals and color effluents in the wastewater. For the production of 1 kg textile around 200 liters of water is utilized and the resulting wastewater contains trace elements such as zinc and chromium and other toxic chemicals.

Emerging technology and research & development are enabling the use of new techniques and limiting the use of chemicals and dyes in the textile industry. For example, inkjet printing, radiofrequency & ultrasound dyeing, and dyebath monitoring and automated systems are expected to reduce the use of dyes and chemicals.

The oil & gas sector also emits large quantities of liquid waste owing to the high levels of water consumption during various processes. The oil & gas sector requires processed water, also water is produced during the drilling process, which needs to treat before releasing to the surface water or by underground well injection.

Services Insights

The treatment segment accounted for a revenue share of over 51% in 2022. The segment is also expected to witness a significant CAGR during the forecast period with the development of new treatment technologies and rising new infrastructure for wastewater treatment facilities.

Liquid waste treatment at wastewater treatment facilities includes majorly three steps, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment. Sometimes pre-treatment process is also carried out. Some of the techniques used for the treatment comprise sedimentation, aeration, membrane bioreactor, UV disinfection, filtration, etc.

The disposal/recycling segment is expected to witness a significant CAGR of over 1.4% during the forecast period. Treated wastewater in the U.S. is mainly disposed of via discharge to sea and irrigation use while water reuse is still limited. Over the forecast period, the segment is expected to witness growth attributed to the increasing activities of recycling wastewater for reuse.

Transportation/hauling service of liquid waste consists of the movement of liquid from the storage location to the treatment location, i.e. wastewater treatment plants. Transportation of hazardous liquid waste requires special containers, and transporting vehicles that ensure safe movement along the road. Transportation is also subjected to adhere to several regulations under the RCR act.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The U.S. liquid waste management industry is fragmented with the presence of few major players. The key players are actively focusing on several strategies, including research & development, product innovation, expansion, and joint venture. With these strategies, key players aim to target new customers from end-use industries and increase market penetration.  

For instance, in January 2020, Veolia signed an agreement with Alcoa USA Corporation to take over the hazardous waste treatment site located in Arkansas, USA. This acquisition is expected to strengthen the geographical presence of the company in the country. Some prominent players in the U.S. liquid waste management market include:

• Veolia

• Waste Management Solutions

• Clean Harbors

• Clean Water Environmental

• DC Water

• Covanta Holding Corporation

• Stericycle, Inc.

• US Ecology, Inc.

• Republic Services, Inc.

• Hazardous Waste Experts

U.S. Liquid Waste Management Market Report Scope

U.S. Liquid Waste Management Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. liquid waste management market report based on category, waste type, source, and services:

• Category Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

  • CWT

  • Onsite Facilities

• Waste Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

  • Residential

  • Commercial

    • Toxic & Hazardous Waste

    • Organic & Non-Hazardous Waste

  • Industrial

    • Toxic & Hazardous Waste

    • Organic & Non-Hazardous Waste

    • Chemical Waste

• Source Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

  • Municipal

  • Textile

  • Pulp & Paper

  • Iron & Steel

  • Automotive

  • Pharmaceutical

  • Oil & Gas

  • Others

• Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

  • Collection

  • Transportation/Hauling

  • Treatment

  • Disposal/Recycling