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Cost of Water
The cost of providing water & wastewater services is climbing in response to aging infrastructure, more advanced treatment to address water quality concerns (e.g. PFAS), algae bloom mitigation, and climatic events. The impact is showcased by residential water bills in the U.S. that have outpaced average annual income growth (5%) and inflation rates (1.9%).
Within this environment, utilities and system operators are being forced to adapt through a range of measures, including improved asset management, alternative billing structures, and outside sources of funding (e.g., SRF, WIFIA, USDA) to bridge the gap.
Water Quality
Mounting public outcry and new state regulations are compelling water & wastewater utilities to address health risks associated with lead service lines, contaminants of emerging concern, and legionella. As a result, companies across the value chain are looking to address the range of water quality issues.
Water Stress
The World Economic Forum listed “Water Crisis” as the fifth biggest risk in its Global Risks Report, 2020—only behind (1) Climate Action Failure, (2) Weapons of Mass Destruction, (3) Biodiversity Loss, and (4) Extreme Weather. All but one have a direct link to water.
Middle East-Africa
From the Persian Gulf to the Cape of Good Hope, water scarcity and inadequate infrastructure has ravaged the region. While Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, along with the rest of region, fall almost exclusively into extreme baseline stressed conditions, South Africa’s Day Zero is a reminder of water supply risks to populations and industries. The GCC region, in particular, faces significant infrastructure gaps between wastewater volumes produced to collection (22%) and treatment capacity (36%). These gaps are poised to expand with the rapidly growing population growth in the region unless countries execute plans to invest heavily in wastewater collection networks and wastewater treatment capacity.
GCC countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE)—face a unique combination of water-related challenges that include a need for greenfield wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure and a need to expand alternative water supplies including water reuse. However, the region is taking proactive steps to address its water-related needs:
Asia Pacific
Scaling demand for water & wastewater treatment is making the Asia Pacific region a hotbed for technology and business innovation. In light of this insatiable demand, the region is fostering the expansion–domestic and international– of water companies seeking to capture the growth opportunities across ten key countries.
From drought-stricken Australia, where desalination and wastewater reuse facilities are proving to be valuable tools against future climatic events, to smart cities in India, the range of water related needs and solutions are immense and will call for a myriad of project financing models, government policies, and advanced technology deployment.
Europe
Europe’s water industry is on pace to lead the world in its journey toward smarter municipal supply networks. With a focus on metering, leakage management, and energy efficiency, European utilities are optimizing network operations through a host of new hardware and software solutions.
From policy directives to consolidation trends, Europe water markets are seeing major shifts. At the same time, specific countries offer unique water market opportunities for investors, service providers, and technology vendors.
Latin America
Scaling municipal and industrial water demand in Latin America, from north to south, is driving a wave of interest from asset investors in Brazil, digital water players in Chile, and desalination promoters in Mexico. The Latin American economy is attracting a number of companies willing to ride a wave of opportunity despite market volatility.
The breadth of municipal and industrial demands for water management in the region are dynamic and underlie the drive for in-depth analysis of public-private partnerships, market drivers, and competitive analysis.
