Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market - Global Forecast 2025-2030

The Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market size was estimated at USD 62.96 billion in 2024 and expected to reach USD 68.15 billion in 2025, at a CAGR 7.86% to reach USD 99.19 billion by 2030.

Global water scarcity is intensifying as climate change exacerbates seasonal variability and population growth places unprecedented pressure on finite freshwater resources. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2024 highlights that roughly half of the world’s population experiences severe water stress for at least part of the year, while 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water and 3.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation, underscoring systemic infrastructure challenges and the urgent need for resilient treatment solutions that can safeguard public health and environmental sustainability.

In the United States, treatment networks face a dual imperative: modernize aging distribution and treatment plants-over 9 million lead service lines must be replaced within the next decade under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements-and comply with first-ever national PFAS drinking water standards for six compounds, designed to protect 100 million people from harmful “forever chemicals.” These mandates, supported by more than $12 billion in federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are driving rapid adoption of advanced treatment technologies and accelerating capital programs across communities of all sizes.

Concurrently, digital transformation is reshaping how treatment facilities operate, with over 78% of water utilities adopting digital initiatives to enhance efficiency and integrate AI and IoT for real-time process control, leak detection, and predictive maintenance. These technological advances not only reduce operational costs and minimize water loss but also enable decentralized, modular treatment models that can be deployed swiftly in remote or underserved areas. As stakeholders navigate tightening regulations, funding constraints, and evolving customer expectations, embracing innovation across treatment, equipment, and management platforms remains paramount to achieving resilient, cost-effective water and wastewater systems capable of meeting twenty-first-century challenges.

Digitalization stands at the forefront of industry transformation, empowering utilities and equipment providers to migrate from reactive maintenance to proactive, condition-based management. By integrating IoT-enabled sensors, cloud analytics, and AI-driven decision tools, treatment plants can optimize chemical usage, detect anomalies before failures occur, and adjust operations dynamically to changing water quality demands. This shift fosters unprecedented efficiency gains, evidenced by utilities reporting 60% faster outage detection and predictive maintenance systems delivering up to 30% reductions in downtime.

Simultaneously, sustainability has become an imperative rather than an aspiration. Fear of regulatory non-compliance with emerging PFAS limits and greenhouse gas reduction targets is compelling stakeholders to adopt eco-efficient treatment chemistries, resource recovery frameworks, and circular economy principles. Companies are exploring bio-based flocculants, energy-neutral microbial fuel cell systems, and advanced oxidation technologies that deliver contaminant removal while minimizing chemical footprints and sludge generation.

A parallel trend is the rise of decentralized, containerized treatment platforms capable of rapid deployment in remote communities, industrial sites, or disaster relief zones. These modular units, which incorporate membrane bioreactors, UV disinfection, and advanced filtration in standardized enclosures, reduce civil works costs by up to 30% and can be scaled incrementally to match demand growth. This decentralization responds to both the pressure to minimize large-scale capital commitments and the need for localized water reuse solutions that mitigate distribution losses and support resilience against climate extremes.

In April 2025, the U.S. government enacted baseline tariffs of 10% on all imports and reciprocal levies on countries with significant trade deficits, including equipment and materials integral to water and wastewater treatment systems. Concurrently, a 145% tariff on China-sourced components, from membranes to stainless steel valves, has prompted manufacturers to impose temporary surcharges-such as a minimum 5% increase adopted by major chemical suppliers-to offset elevated input costs without compromising supply continuity.

Municipal and industrial capital projects have felt the brunt of these measures: engineering firms report that many tenders now exceed budget contingencies by millions of dollars due to abrupt cost escalations, leading some agencies to pause procurement in anticipation of tariff recalibrations. One prominent West Coast water authority deferred the bid process for a large conveyance tunnel by a quarter to refine financial projections amidst volatile material pricing. These delays risk deferred service improvements and extended exposure to infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Operational budgets are similarly strained as utilities contend with 10–25% higher costs for routine chemicals, membrane replacement, and pump repairs. Many have resorted to front-loading inventory purchases at pre-tariff rates and exploring alternative sourcing from domestic or non-targeted markets, although limited global supply capacity for specialized parts tempers these advantages. Supply chain diversification and strategic stockpiling have become critical mitigation tactics in an environment where even European-origin components may incorporate tariff-impacted subcomponents.

Segmentation analysis reveals that treatment processes span biological methods-such as activated sludge systems, membrane bioreactors, sequencing batch reactors, and trickling filters-alongside chemical routes that include coagulation and flocculation, disinfection agents, ion exchange, and pH adjustment, as well as physical approaches reliant on sedimentation, aeration, and adsorption technologies. Equipment offerings mirror this diversity, encompassing disinfection units like chlorination and ultraviolet systems; filtration modules configured as cartridge, multimedia, or sand filters; membrane stacks employing hollow fiber, plate and frame, or spiral wound elements; alongside pumping solutions ranging from centrifugal to positive displacement designs and an array of sensors and controls for conductivity, pH, flow, and turbidity monitoring.

Applications bifurcate into wastewater treatment, addressing effluent cleanup and resource recovery, and water treatment, focusing on potable supply and reuse streams. End users include municipal utilities serving urban and rural populations, as well as industrial operators across chemicals, food and beverage, mining, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, power generation, and pulp and paper sectors. Capacity profiles vary from large centralized plants processing millions of gallons per day to medium-scale facilities for industrial sites and small-scale packaged systems tailored to decentralized or emergency deployments. This multi-dimensional segmentation underscores the complexity of market needs and the necessity for tailored solutions across treatment type, equipment, application, end user, and scale.

In the Americas, policy-driven infrastructure funding and landmark initiatives-such as over $11.5 billion mobilized through the U.S. State Revolving Fund programs in 2024-have catalyzed upgrades to drinking water systems, lead service line replacements, and PFAS removal projects. Public–private partnerships and programmatic support under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continue to fuel demand for both advanced centralized plants and modular installations designed for targeted communities.

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) confront a mosaic of regulatory regimes ranging from the European Union’s emerging contaminants directive to localized water stress initiatives in the Gulf and North Africa. Stringent EU mandates on pollutant discharge and circular economy goals are driving investment in resource recovery and zero liquid discharge technologies, while basin-level water management strategies in the Mediterranean region underscore the need for efficient, low-energy treatment solutions that reconcile scarcity with agricultural and urban priorities.

Asia-Pacific dynamics are shaped by rapid urbanization, industrial growth, and acute water scarcity in South and Southeast Asia, where nearly half the population experiences severe seasonal stress. Governments and utilities are accelerating desalination capacity, water reuse programs, and digital network optimization, with China and Australia leading large-scale membrane deployments and India piloting smart monitoring in municipally owned treatment plants. Climate-induced droughts and monsoon variability further highlight the region’s reliance on resilient, adaptive systems capable of maintaining service continuity under extreme conditions.

Xylem Inc. stands as a dominant force in water technology, emerging from the 2011 spin-off of ITT Corporation’s water businesses. With 2024 revenues of $8.6 billion and a workforce exceeding 23,000 employees, the company delivers a portfolio spanning water infrastructure, analytical instrumentation, and applied water systems. In May 2023, Xylem solidified its market leadership by completing a $7.5 billion acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies, creating the world’s largest pure-play water technology enterprise and enhancing its capabilities in membranes, disinfection, and service solutions.

Veolia Environnement S.A., a French transnational environmental services provider, commands a global footprint with 215,000 employees across 56 countries and 2024 revenues of €44.69 billion. As a CAC 40 component, Veolia integrates water management, waste services, and energy efficiency to offer end-to-end utility solutions, serving over 113 million people with drinking water and 103 million with wastewater treatment, while driving ecological transformation agendas in both public and industrial sectors.

Ecolab Inc., headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, employs 48,000 personnel worldwide and specializes in chemical and service offerings that address water treatment, hygiene, and infection prevention across industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, and manufacturing. Through its 2024 portfolio, Ecolab has advanced sustainable water management practices by deploying tailored chemical treatments and digital monitoring platforms that optimize water usage and minimize environmental impacts.

Pentair plc, incorporated in Ireland with U.S. tax residency, reported revenues of $3.8 billion in fiscal 2021 and employs nearly 9,750 staff globally. Focused on water and fluid solutions, Pentair’s segments span residential and commercial pools, filtration, valves and controls, and industrial water treatment. The company’s dual business model leverages energy-efficient equipment designs and integrated solutions to address residential, commercial, and industrial water needs.

DuPont de Nemours, Inc., with roots dating to 1802 and reestablished in 2019, maintains a workforce of 24,000 and a diversified specialty products portfolio that includes high-performance materials and water treatment chemistries. Following its reorganization, DuPont invests in polymer membranes, specialty resins, and coagulant technologies that serve municipal and industrial customers while aligning with broader sustainability objectives.

Calgon Carbon Corporation, a subsidiary of Kuraray and leader in activated carbon solutions, operates fifteen facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, manufacturing products that remove contaminants through adsorption processes. With a focus on UV disinfection and carbon-based filtration media, Calgon Carbon supports municipal drinking water, industrial effluent treatment, and air purification applications.

Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, now part of the Xylem family, specializes in mission-critical water and wastewater treatment systems, boasting over 4,500 employees and $1.7 billion in revenue in 2022. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Evoqua offers clarifiers, membranes, pumps, and service contracts to support municipal utilities, industrial operators, and remote deployments, underscoring its reputation for reliability and innovation over a century of operations.

Industry leaders must prioritize supply chain agility by diversifying sourcing strategies and forging localized manufacturing partnerships to mitigate tariff disruptions and maintain project schedules. Establishing dual-sourcing agreements with domestic and non-targeted foreign suppliers can buffer cost volatility while safeguarding lead times.

Investing in digital transformation remains critical: deploying IoT-enabled sensors and AI-based analytics will streamline operational expenditure, reduce unplanned downtime, and optimize chemical dosing. Piloting digital twin models for treatment plants can further refine maintenance planning and accelerate response to regulatory inspections.

Embracing modular and decentralized treatment platforms provides flexibility to target niche applications and underserved regions, reducing large-scale capital burdens and enabling rapid deployment. Integrating renewable energy modules and resource recovery technologies will align projects with sustainability objectives and unlock additional funding opportunities under green infrastructure programs.

Collaboration with regulators and industry associations to shape pragmatic compliance frameworks-particularly around PFAS and lead replacement-will ensure achievable enforcement timelines. Developing turnkey PFAS removal solutions that leverage established membrane and granular activated carbon techniques can position vendors as essential partners to utilities seeking compliance by 2027.

Finally, fostering strategic alliances across the value chain-spanning chemical suppliers, equipment OEMs, EPC contractors, and end users-will facilitate knowledge sharing, co-development of pilot projects, and accelerated commercialization of advanced treatment technologies.

This research utilized a robust dual-phase methodology combining extensive secondary analysis with targeted primary engagements. Secondary sources encompassed peer-reviewed publications, government reports, and industry news releases, ensuring comprehensive coverage of regulatory developments, technology trends, and market dynamics. Trade press, academic journals, and digital transformation studies provided quantitative benchmarks and case examples.

Primary research comprised in-depth interviews with equipment manufacturers, utility executives, regulatory officials, and technology innovators, capturing firsthand perspectives on implementation challenges and strategic priorities. Insights were validated through cross-referencing data points across multiple sources to ensure reliability.

Quantitative data, including tariff schedules, infrastructure funding allocations, and digital adoption metrics, were aggregated and normalized to enable comparative analysis. Triangulation techniques were employed to reconcile disparities and deliver an unbiased assessment of market conditions. This methodological rigor underpins the findings and recommendations presented herein, providing stakeholders with a transparent, credible foundation for strategic decision-making.

This executive summary distills the intricate dynamics shaping the global water and wastewater treatment equipment sector, highlighting the intersection of regulatory imperatives, technological innovation, and evolving market structures. Core segmentation across treatment types, equipment categories, applications, end users, and capacity scales underscores the need for tailored solutions.

Regional analyses reveal distinct growth drivers-from U.S. infrastructure funding and PFAS mandates to EMEA’s stringent environmental directives and Asia-Pacific’s acute scarcity challenges-while leading players demonstrate strategic adaptations through M&A, digital investments, and sustainability-driven portfolios.

Industry leaders are urged to pursue supply chain resilience, embrace digital platforms, and leverage modular deployment models to navigate tariff impacts and regulatory shifts. Collaborative engagement with policymakers and cross-sector partnerships will be critical to accelerating compliance and unlocking growth opportunities.

By integrating these insights into strategic planning, stakeholders can enhance operational efficiency, manage risk, and deliver sustainable water management solutions that align with long-term environmental and economic objectives, ensuring resilient water systems for communities and industries alike.

To take decisive steps toward navigating market complexities and capitalizing on new opportunities, reach out to Ketan Rohom, Associate Director, Sales & Marketing at 360iResearch, to secure comprehensive insights tailored to your strategic objectives. Engage directly to gain exclusive access to detailed data, expert analysis, and customized advisory support designed to optimize your investments in water and wastewater treatment equipment. Connect with Ketan today to empower your decisions and lead confidently in an evolving industry landscape.