Clean Water Needs Will Drive the Liquid Treatment and Flow Control Markets to $338 Billion

Demand for clean water will drive the water treatment and flow control markets in the next several decades.  The growth in equipment and consumables for process liquid treatment and flow will grow at a slightly lower rate.  The forecasts for equipment and consumables tracked in McIlvaine Company’s liquid and flow market reports are for growth higher than GDP.  The 2020 forecasts for specific subjects total $338 billion up by $200 billion from 2010 and $223 billion in 2012.

 World Revenues ($ billions) for Liquid Treatment and Flow Equipment plus Consumables

The liquid filtration market includes sand filters which will be used in the municipal water treatment plants under planning in the developing world.  Seventeen percent of the world’s population presently does not have access to safe drinking water.  Belt presses and centrifuges are used in sludge dewatering in sewage treatment.  These dewatering devices will help address the lack of adequate sanitation in 42 percent of the world.  Cartridges are used in pharmaceutical and biotechnology processing.  They are also used in purifying water at residences and commercial buildings.  This accounts for their higher rate of growth.

The highest growth will be in cross-flow membranes including reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration and microfiltration.  Desalination using reverse osmosis membranes will contribute greatly to offset the potable surface water scarcity.

Pumps, valves and instrumentation are used in all the processes.  Ultrapure water demand for pharmaceuticals and semiconductors will grow at 6 percent per year over the period.

As countries prosper, the demand for water will soar.  The prosperous U.S. consumes 28 times as much water per person as does Ethiopia and 2.8 times as much as China.

The world population is 6.8 billion.  In 2025 it will be 8.1 billion.  The growing population decreases the available water per capita.  It is estimated the per capita availability of water will have dropped 40 percent in developed countries by 2025 compared to 1950.  In developing but humid countries the availability will have dropped 80 percent.  In developing but arid countries water availability will have dropped by more than 85 percent.

The large increased demand is a combination of population and wealth growth.  It takes 100,000 gallons to produce an automobile and 800 gallons to create a 16 oz steak.

But the big demands will be the increased use of water by agriculture and industry.  Agriculture is the biggest user (65 percent).  The power industry is the second biggest user.  It takes 25,000 gallons of water just to produce 1 megawatt hour of electricity.  One pound of steel requires 25 gallons, while one gallon of gasoline requires 10 gallons of water.

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Bob McIlvaine

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rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com