While China will remain the fastest growing major market, Freedonia estimates that North America will see growth of 4.7% per annum, Western Europe 4.4% and Asia Pacific 8.1%.

In the more developed markets of the US, Japan and most of Western Europe, growth will come from efforts to increase water reuse rates, improve the quality of drinking water, and reduce water contamination and environmental damage. Freedonia believes this will boost demand for products such as advanced membrane systems, disinfection equipment and specialty chemicals used in industrial wastewater treatment. In the US and a few other developed economies, demand will also be boosted by increased desalination capacity.

In less developed, industrialising nations, growth will come from expanding sanitation services and from efforts to meet global standards for wastewater reclamation and effluent discharge quality.