Water And Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Process (Tertiary, Primary), By Application (Industrial, Municipal), By Equipment, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview

The global water and wastewater treatment equipment market size was valued at USD 61.60 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.0% from 2021 to 2028. Rising demand for clean water due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, coupled with diminishing freshwater resources, is anticipated to propel the product demand over the forecast period. Rising environmental concerns, coupled with the necessity to comply with the stringent government regulations pertaining to water & wastewater treatment across the globe, are likely to boost the market growth. Moreover, increasing investments in wastewater treatment facilities are anticipated to drive market growth.

The U.S. dominated the North America regional market in 2020 on account of the presence of well-developed water & 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.

Rapid urbanization, technological advancements, infrastructural development, and population growth have increased the demand for fresh and processed water across the globe. However, due to the limited availability of freshwater resources, there is a growing focus on wastewater treatment and reuse to meet the rising demand. This is expected to boost market growth over the forecast period.

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

Several government authorities have introduced strict regulations regarding wastewater emissions 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 led the market and accounted for 19.7% of the global revenue share in 2020. The segment will register the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028. Membrane separation is a physical treatment technology wherein feed water is forced at high pressure through a semi-permeable membrane to separate specific materials from the solution. Membrane separation offers several advantages, such as minimum operation area and high filtration efficiency, over the existing techniques.

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

The sludge treatment segment is expected to witness the second-highest CAGR over the forecast period. These systems include sludge screening, drying, dewatering, and thickening. Sludge screening equipment is used to remove solids, such as hair, plastics, and fibers, 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 2020 accounting for over 43% of the global revenue share and will expand further at the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028. 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 primary treatment over the forecast period.

The secondary treatment process segment is expected to register the second-fastest CAGR of 4.0% from 2021 to 2028. 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 either be 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 66.1% of the global revenue share in 2020. 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 & wastewater treatment infrastructure across the globe is expected to boost the segment growth over the forecast period.

The industrial application segment is likely to witness the fastest CAGR of 4.1% over 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 the 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

Asia Pacific led the global market and accounted for a revenue share of 33.9% in 2020. The regional market is estimated to expand further at the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028. Increasing investments in the wastewater management sector coupled with the rapidly expanding manufacturing sector is likely to have a positive impact on the market growth. Furthermore, the growing residential sector in the region is expected to boost product penetration in municipal wastewater facilities. Stringent federal and state regulations pertaining to wastewater in the U.S. coupled with increasing upgrades due to aging infrastructure are expected to support the market growth in the country. Moreover, increasing oil & gas exploration activities in the U.S. and Canada are expected to drive the product demand, thereby augmenting the market growth in North America.

The market in Europe is anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Stringent laws and directives, such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), and the Drinking Water Directive, are anticipated to increase spending on water & wastewater treatment equipment in the region. 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 and are also focusing on integrating advanced technologies to develop more effective and efficient solutions that can be utilized across the market. Companies are also focusing on the economies of scope as water & wastewater treatment equipment is widely used in industrial and municipal sectors. Market participants are forming partnerships with industrial companies to provide technical expertise in sectors, such as food & beverages and oil & gas. Some prominent players in the global water & wastewater treatment equipment market include:

• Veolia

• SUEZ

• DuPont

• Pentair plc

• Xylem Inc.

• Aquatech International LLC

• Evoqua Water Technologies LLC

• Ecolab Inc.

• 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 2017 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global water & wastewater treatment equipment market report on the basis of equipment, process, application, and region:

• Equipment Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2028)

  • Membrane Separation

  • Biological

  • Disinfection

  • Sludge Treatment

  • Others

• Process Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2028)

  • Primary

  • Secondary

  • Tertiary

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2028)

  • Municipal

  • Industrial

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2028)

  • 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