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Water and wastewater treatment worldwide: the industry and the market for equipment and chemicals

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Abstract

Water is and will continue to be the key natural resource of the twenty-first century in all nations, large and small. While the agricultural sector is the largest user of water, its use for human consumption and in industrial processes is truly vital. A wide variety of equipment and chemicals are involved in cleansing water and wastewater; the global market is estimated at $84 billion in 2017 and at $123 billion in 2022. This study analyzes the specific categories of equipment and chemicals, the nature of end-use markets, and the creative business strategies involved. Comments on competition and marketing practices as well as two brief case studies provide further insights on this important industrial sector

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Correspondence to Andrew Gross.

Additional information

This article is based primarily on two reports from The Freedonia Group (2014a, b). Chief research analyst for both studies was Emily Park, assisted by Ned Zimmerman, Joe Iorillo, and Alecia Mouhanna. The article is also based on Gross (1986a, b) and his recent working papers.

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Gross, A., Park, E. Water and wastewater treatment worldwide: the industry and the market for equipment and chemicals. Bus Econ 53, 37–47 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s11369-018-0069-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s11369-018-0069-1

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