Municipalities around the world will spend $24.3 billion for wastewater flow control and treatment equipment in 2013. This is the latest forecast by the McIlvaine Company through aggregating data in a number of its market reports.
Developing countries will be mostly purchasing equipment for new plants. Developed countries will be purchasing equipment for plant expansions and to meet new regulatory requirements.
There is a small market for cartridges because they are not cleanable. Much of the dewatering is accomplished with macrofiltration including belt filter presses, recessed chamber filter presses and drum filters.
The market for pumps is divided between transport and treatment. Pumps are required at lift stations to move the sewage to the treatment plants. Each treatment step requires pumps capable of handling solids from just a few percent up to 20 percent or more in the dewatered sludge.
Cross-flow membranes are used when tertiary treatment and reuse are accomplished. Centrifuges compete with belt filter presses for sludge dewatering. Clarifiers are used in both physical and biological treatment processes.
Chemicals are needed for flocculation, coagulation and disinfection. Valves are used throughout the treatment steps. Flow and other physical measurements require a number of monitors. Evaluation of water cleanliness has traditionally been achieved with samples taken manually and then tested in on-site laboratories. There is a trend to switch to on line measurement.
