Water And Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Process, By Application, By Equipment, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global water and wastewater treatment equipment market size was valued at USD 53.24 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2022 to 2030. An increase in demand for clean water due to industrialization and rising urbanization, along with diminishing freshwater supplies, is expected to enhance product demand, during the forecast period. Rising environmental concerns, combined with the need to follow strict government rules, and the growing demand for water and wastewater treatment worldwide are expected to drive the market. Similarly, rising investments in wastewater treatment facilities e expected to fuel the market development.

The COVID-19 had a negative impact on the wastewater treatment and sanitation market. Supply chain disruption during the pandemic led to a shortage of equipment and consumables required for the treatment procedures. Additionally, industrial and commercial waste significantly lowered due to the lockdown situation, thereby increasing water quality levels and lowering the volume of treatment needed in water sources.

Huge amounts of wastewater poured into the environment without treatment or inadequate treatment in many parts of the world, degrading the surroundings and causing major health hazards to humans. Partially treated wastewater and raw sewage are the carriers of disease transmission. In this case, it is a potential mechanism for the COVID-19 to spread more quickly, for example in locations where sanitation is in poor condition or commodities exposed to black water and open sewers. 

The U.S. dominated the North America regional market in 2021 due to the presence of well-developed water and wastewater treatment infrastructure along with stringent regulations regarding effluent discharge. In addition, the rising need of upgrading the existing facilities of the aging infrastructure in the country is estimated to augment the market growth. 

Global demand for fresh and processed water has augmented due to technological improvements, rapid urbanization, population growth, and, infrastructure expansion. However, as freshwater supplies are limited, there is a growing emphasis on wastewater treatment and reuse to fulfill rising demand. This is expected to promote the market growth, during the forecast period. 

The global market has witnessed the development of superior components, including membranes and filters, which offer higher functional efficiency and operate for a longer duration. In addition, rising demand for clean water from refineries and the development of superior components to treat effluents in oil & gas and manufacturing industries are anticipated to drive the market during the forecast period. 

Several government authorities have introduced strict regulations regarding wastewater discharge from the industrial and municipal sectors, which will drive the product demand in the years to come. However, the high cost associated with the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of wastewater treatment plants are likely to restrain market growth to some extent. 

Equipment Insights

The membrane separation segment dominated the market in 2021, accounting for 19.81% of global sales. This segment is predicted to expand at the quickest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. Membrane separation is a physical treatment procedure that includes passing high-pressure feed water through a semi-permeable membrane to extract certain components from the solution. Membrane separation has a number of advantages over other methods, including a compact operating area and high filtration efficiency. 

Biological treatment is usually a secondary process used to remove the remaining contaminants after primary treatment. Stringent regulations aimed at controlling water pollution in the manufacturing and municipal sectors by the utilization of eco-friendly means.  In developed markets, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, and Japan, are expected to increase the requirement for biological treatment equipment. 

The sludge treatment segment is expected to witness the second-highest CAGR during the forecast period. These systems include sludge drying, screening, thickening, and dewatering. Sludge screening equipment is used to remove solids, such as plastics, fibers, and hair, to prevent the disruption of subsequent sludge treatment processes. 

Some of the common disinfection techniques include Ultraviolet (UV). The UV systems consist of a UV light source that is placed inside a transparent protective sleeve. As the water passes through the flow chamber, the UV rays are introduced into the water supply to destroy bacteria as well as to inactivate several viruses in the water. 

Process Insights

The tertiary treatment process segment led the market in 2021 accounting for over 43.0% share of the global revenue and is expected to expand further at the fastest CAGR of 5.3% from 2022 to 2030. Tertiary treatment is used to improve effluent quality before it is reused or discharged into the environment. In this process, the inorganic substances and compounds, viruses, bacteria, and parasites, left after secondary treatment processes, are removed to make water ideal for reuse. 

Primary treatment is used for separating floating materials and heavy solids from effluent. Wastewater is passed through several tanks and filters that separate water from contaminants. Low operating costs and high market visibility are expected to play a crucial role in increasing the application scope of the primary treatment during the forecast period. 

The secondary treatment process segment is expected to register the second-fastest CAGR of 5.1% from 2022 to 2030. Secondary treatment is used mainly for removing the soluble organic matter and chemicals, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, using trickling filters, bio-towers, rotating biological contactors, and activated sludge systems. The biological processes used in secondary treatment can be either aerobic or anaerobic. 

A membrane bioreactor is an advanced treatment system that integrates the conventional biological treatment processes, such as the activated sludge process with membrane filtration, to provide more efficient and effective removal of organic and suspended solids. The solid-liquid filtration is achieved by using microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes. 

Application Insights

The municipal application segment led the market and accounted for a 66.0% share of the global revenue in 2021. Growing urban population coupled with favorable government policies focused on promoting infrastructure development are expected to increase the product demand in the municipal sector, especially in developing markets like China, India, and Brazil. 

Municipal wastewater treatment facilities are primarily used to protect water resources and natural aquatic systems by eliminating Effluent Organic Matter (EfOM), pathogens, and nutrients from wastewater. Rising awareness pertaining to wastewater treatment and the increasing government focus on improving water and wastewater treatment infrastructure across the globe are expected to boost the segment growth during the forecast period.

The industrial application segment is likely to witness the fastest CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period. This segment provides a wide application scope for fresh and processed water in several industries. Rapid industrialization, technological developments, and an increasing number of production units result in high demand for fresh and processed water. The aforementioned factors are anticipated to augment the product penetration in the industrial segment.

A rising number of industrial activities and rapid urbanization have led to environmental deterioration owing to untreated or inadequately treated industrial wastewater effluents. However, growing awareness about environmental degradation coupled with increasing stringency of regulations pertaining to the discharge of effluents from industries into the water bodies is expected to drive the segment growth. 

Regional Insights

In 2021, Asia Pacific dominated the global market, with a revenue share of 32.44%. The region is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period. The rapidly rising manufacturing sector, combined with increased investment in the wastewater management business will be the factors responsible for the market growth. In addition, the region's growing residential sector is expected to rise the product application in municipal wastewater treatment plants.

In the U.S., strict state and federal wastewater restrictions, and increased upgrades owing to aging infrastructure, are expected to promote market growth. Furthermore, increasing oil and gas exploration undertakings in the U.S. and Canada are likely to boost product demand, boosting the market growth in North America.

The market in Europe is expected to increase significantly during the forecast period. Water and investment in wastewater treatment equipment are expected to rise in the region because of the stringent rules and directives such as the Drinking Water Directive, Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), and the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Water pollution is a major health, as well as an environmental, concern in Brazil. Major factors contributing to water pollution include industrial waste, sewage, and leaking landfills. Thus, rising concerns about water pollution are expected to drive the product demand in the regional market of Central & South America.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is characterized by the presence of both multinational and regional players that are engaged in the designing, manufacturing, distribution, and installation of a wide range of products. Major companies have invested heavily in R&D initiatives.  They are furthermore focusing on integrating advanced technologies to develop more effective and efficient solutions, which can be utilized in the market.

Veolia, IAGE (a startup), and the IPMC (CNRS-Université Côte d'Azur) continue to work together to improve Vigie COVID-19, a groundbreaking method for quickly detecting and computing the COVID-19 virus, particularly in wastewater.

This approach was introduced first in September 2020. It has already allowed researchers to spot and calculate the Alpha, Gamma, and Beta variants, as well as the dangerous delta variant last year and the new Omicron variant presently.

As the water and wastewater treatment equipment is widely used in industrial and municipal sectors, companies are focusing on its economical scope. Market participants are forming partnerships with manufacturing companies to provide technical expertise in sectors, such as food & beverages and oil & gas.

The market is undergoing some strategic changes. For instance, in May 2022, Séché Environnement and Veolia entered into an agreement. Séché Environnement has agreed to take over a portion of Veolia's industrial water treatment services business in France. Some of the prominent players in the global water and wastewater treatment equipment market include:

• Veolia

• Pentair plc

• DuPont

• SUEZ

• Xylem Inc.

• Aquatech International LLC

• Ecolab Inc.

• Evoqua Water Technologies LLC

• Calgon Carbon Corp. 

Water And 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 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global water and wastewater treatment equipment market report based on the equipment, process, application, and region:

• Equipment Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Membrane Separation

  • Biological

  • Disinfection

  • Sludge Treatment

  • Others

• Process Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Primary

  • Secondary

  • Tertiary

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Municipal

  • Industrial

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • U.K.

    • Russia

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

    • Venezuela

  • Middle East & Africa

    • UAE

    • Saudi Arabia

    • Egypt