Around the world, the story of water and wastewater treatment has become a central chapter in the larger narrative of urban resilience, climate adaptation and industrial responsibility. What began as a patchwork of basic treatment plants in the twentieth century has evolved into an interconnected network of highly regulated systems influenced by frameworks such as the European Green Deal, the Kigali Clean Water & Sanitation initiatives in Africa, the US EPA’s regulatory expansion on emerging contaminants and the UN Water Action Agenda. Urban centers like Buenos Aires, Manila, Nairobi and Riyadh now face overlapping pressures from population surges, drought-driven scarcity and aging infrastructure, driving governments to rethink how treatment plants are designed and operated. This has resulted in unprecedented global investment in advanced technologies, from Japan’s adoption of low-energy membrane bioreactors in Osaka to Spain’s integration of tertiary treatment at facilities along the Segura River Basin, a region once struggling with agricultural runoff .
Meanwhile, coastal cities such as Perth, Muscat and Barcelona have leaned on desalination to stabilize drinking-water supplies, pairing reverse-osmosis trains with predictive monitoring systems that adjust for algal blooms and storm-related turbidity spikes. The rise of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, PFAS, industrial solvents and microplastics has pushed research institutions from Zurich to Seoul to develop new oxidation pathways, granular carbon blends and next-generation sensors that can monitor treatment efficiency down to the molecular level. The global sector is no longer built on the old model of primary, secondary and tertiary steps alone, it now reflects a world that expects continuous real-time control, nutrient removal, resilience against climate volatility and a deepening commitment to recovering every usable drop of water.
According to the research report "Global Water and Waste Water Treatment Market Outlook, 2030," published by Bonafide Research, the Global Water and Waste Water Treatment market was valued at more than USD 85.51 Billion in 2025, and expected to reach a market size of more than USD 124.13 Billion by 2031 with the CAGR of 6.57% from 2026-2031. Industrial users in sectors like mining, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors are installing bespoke treatment lines that include ozonation, ultrafiltration and biological polishing steps, particularly in regions such as the Atacama Desert, the Ruhr Valley and the Yangtze River Delta. Meanwhile, global interest in circular water practices is rising as facilities in Amsterdam, Aarhus, Seoul and Melbourne turn sewage sludge into energy, phosphorus-rich ash and biosolids that feed agriculture .
Companies such as Saur, Acciona, Metito, Kurita, Xylem and Veolia continue to dominate major international tenders, working on projects like the expansion of the Grand Paris wastewater network, the Kigali bulk-water supply program, the Jeddah sludge-to-energy conversion initiative and India’s coastal desalination plants designed for industrial corridors in Chennai and Vishakhapatnam. At the same time, regional utilities like the Water Corporation of Western Australia, Brazil’s Sabesp, Morocco’s ONEE, Korea Water Resources Corporation and Egypt’s Holding Company for Water and Wastewater have begun investing in digital-twin modeling, AI-assisted aeration control and fully autonomous pump stations, signaling a shift toward operational efficiency rather than just infrastructure expansion. A new wave of startups spanning hubs in Copenhagen, Tel Aviv, Singapore, Bengaluru and Silicon Valley is introducing sensor arrays capable of tracking bacterial indicators in seconds, modular electro-oxidation systems for remote industries and machine-learning leak-detection software now deployed across dense urban networks in cities such as Tokyo and Copenhagen.
Water and wastewater treatment equipment dominates the global market because industries, municipalities, and utilities depend heavily on advanced and reliable systems that can handle increasingly complex contamination challenges driven by urban expansion, industrial discharge, and stricter environmental controls that continue to tighten worldwide. Membrane separation systems, for example, are favored because they deliver consistent, high-purity water even when feedwater contains fluctuating levels of dissolved solids, pathogens, and micro-pollutants, making them essential for reuse projects and regions facing water scarcity .
Biological treatment processes remain foundational due to their ability to naturally break down organic matter in municipal and industrial wastewater, offering a cost-effective and environmentally compatible solution that fits both large plants and decentralized facilities. Sludge treatment equipment has become critical as operators confront rising sludge generation and the need to reduce disposal volumes while meeting regulations that restrict landfilling and promote energy recovery. Disinfection technologies, especially UV systems, have gained prominence because they avoid chemical residues and resistant byproducts while ensuring rapid pathogen inactivation, making them suitable for drinking water protection and water reuse schemes. Other equipment such as sedimentation systems, clarification units, ion exchange, and filtration solutions continue to be indispensable because they form the backbone of multi-stage treatment trains that must accommodate diverse water qualities, from industrial effluents to surface and groundwater sources .
The dominance of this equipment segment stems from its direct role in enabling compliance, reducing operational risks, supporting water recycling, improving plant efficiency, and extending the life of infrastructure.
Industrial sectors are expanding their use of water and wastewater treatment systems at the fastest pace because virtually every manufacturing and processing industry faces escalating pressure to manage water more responsibly as local authorities impose tighter discharge rules, freshwater withdrawals become harder to secure, and production lines demand higher reliability to prevent downtime linked to water quality issues. Food and beverage producers require stringent hygiene and process water standards, prompting investments in filtration, disinfection, and wastewater reuse systems that help maintain product integrity and meet safety regulations. Pulp and paper operations depend on treatment methods that can handle high loads of organic compounds, suspended solids, and bleaching agents, driving the need for advanced treatment technologies. Power generation plants, particularly those operating thermal or nuclear units, require high-purity water for boilers and cooling circuits, making them heavy users of demineralization and sludge handling equipment .
Oil and gas facilities, including refineries and petrochemical plants, face some of the toughest regulatory and operational challenges because they generate oily wastewater, hazardous byproducts, and large volumes of produced water, all requiring sophisticated separation and purification systems. Healthcare facilities increasingly treat pharmaceutical residues and infectious waste streams at the source, while the chemical and petrochemical industries treat complex effluents containing acids, solvents, metals, and high-COD waste. Other sectors such as textiles, mining, construction, metal extraction, and automotive manufacturing are responding to pressure from customers and regulators to adopt cleaner operations, water recycling, and closed-loop systems that reduce environmental impact. Industrial operators are also motivated by the financial benefits of reducing water purchase costs, minimizing wastewater disposal fees, and improving resource efficiency.
Tertiary treatment is advancing faster than primary and secondary processes because modern water management demands higher levels of purification than ever before, driven by the spread of micropollutants, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, nutrients, and emerging contaminants that conventional treatment cannot fully remove .
Municipal and industrial facilities are increasingly expected to produce effluent suitable for reuse in agriculture, industrial cooling, groundwater recharge, or even potable applications, and tertiary systems provide the advanced filtration, adsorption, oxidation, and disinfection capabilities required to meet these stricter expectations. Technologies such as membrane filtration, activated carbon polishing, advanced oxidation processes, nutrient removal systems, and high-efficiency disinfection units have become essential as water reuse programs continue to expand globally. Regulatory frameworks now require the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace contaminants to prevent eutrophication and protect sensitive ecosystems, which pushes operators toward incorporating tertiary stages into their treatment trains. In many regions facing water stress, tertiary treatment enables recycling that reduces reliance on scarce freshwater sources, helping cities and industries maintain resilience during droughts or supply shortages .
Additionally, tertiary systems enhance public health protection by targeting pathogens and chemical residues that persist after biological treatment, reducing the risk of contamination in downstream water bodies. Urbanization and industrialization have increased the pollutant load and diversity in wastewater streams, making advanced polishing processes indispensable for achieving reliable, consistent effluent quality. Tertiary treatment is also benefiting from technological innovation, with modular systems that can be added to existing plants without major reconstruction, as well as digital monitoring tools that improve process control and efficiency.
