Water Treatment Equipment Market to Hit $13bn by 2017

The US water treatment equipment market is projected to grow 5.9 percent a year to reach $13 billion in 2017, gains largely driven by concerns over the health risks and environmental impacts of biological contaminants, chemicals and disinfection byproducts in supply water and wastewater, according to a study.

The Water Treatment Equipment study, conducted by Cleveland-based industry market research firm the Freedonia Group, says more stringent manufacturing requirements in process water also will spur demand.

The Freedonia Group study expects growth in the resources extraction, commercial, residential and municipal markets.

The resource extraction industries have a growing need for the equipment as treatment requirements for produced water in oil and natural gas rise and as water recycling and reuse increase to meet the demands of expanded hydraulic fracturing activities in the US, the study says.

The EPA is expected to set new rules for hydraulic fracturing, a development that will benefit the water treatment equipment market in the long term.

An expected rebound in mining production, especially for minerals, will also contribute to an increased need for water treatment equipment, the study says.

The commercial and residential markets for water treatment equipment will continue to recover from the declines experienced during the economic recession. Point-of-entry membrane filtration, disinfection and deionization equipment are expected to benefit the most from rising demand within the commercial and residential markets, the study says.

The municipal market for water treatment equipment is expected to improve as well, largely driven by demand for membrane systems and disinfection equipment once the EPA implements new regulations that set maximum limits for disinfection byproducts, volatile organic compounds, perchlorates, and other potentially hazardous contaminants.

A separate analysis by Frost & Sullivan forecast revenues in the global disinfection systems market will grow from $1.94 billion in 2012 up to $2.96 billion in 2019 due to rapid industrialization and urbanization coupled with more stringent legislation requiring more extensive water reuse.

The trend of water reuse and disinfection practices, particularly in water critical industries such as power, food and beverage and pharmaceuticals will have a profound impact on market prospects over the next five to seven years, Frost & Sullivan says.