Water Treatment Products in China to Grow 10 Percent Annually Through 2015

The market for water treatment products in China is expected to grow more than 10 percent per year to 46.6 billion yuan in 2015, posting one of the fastest growth rates among major national markets.  Advances will be primarily driven by the continued strong growth in manufacturing, power generation, and other industries in China.  Government efforts to increase access to fresh water and improve the poor condition of surface water sources, which supply most of the country’s water needs, will also spur demand for water treatment chemicals, equipment, and supplies.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Water Treatment in China, a new study from the Beijing office of The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Demand for water treatment products in the industrial sector is projected to grow 11 percent annually through 2015, accounting for over half of the water treatment market in China.  Despite comparatively slow growth in industrial water usage -- 2.4 percent annually through 2015 -- demand for water treatment products in essentially every industrial market will be robust due to efforts to use water more efficiently and treat water more intensively.  Greater emphasis on water recycling and waste reduction in industrial applications will intensify the need for more assertive treatment.  The municipal water treatment market is projected to grow 8.8 percent annually through 2015, due in large part to the continued expansion of the nation’s water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure.  More municipal water infrastructure is needed to serve a growing urban population.  Water supply and wastewater treatment facilities are still rare in rural areas.  Moreover, as the population becomes more affluent, there is a growing expectation of higher quality water from municipal supply systems. 

Water treatment chemicals will remain the largest product category, with sales expected to grow 8.7 percent annually through 2015.  However, benefiting from advanced technologies and more stringent treatment standards, demand for nonchemical equipment, such as filtration, membranes, and disinfection equipment, will experience healthier growth.  Nonchemical disinfection equipment is expected to post the fastest growth, with demand projected to rise 20 percent per year through 2015.      

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.