Based on the Census 2011 data on Drinking Water by Households, 70% of households in urban India rely on tap water while 27% rely on ground water for their everyday needs. The sources of water might be contaminated with microbes such as viruses, bacteria, fungus and other pathogens. Other chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, nitrates, pesticides, etc. can further degrade the quality of water and make it 100% unadulterated for consumption. Drinking contaminated or inappropriately managed water can make an individual vulnerable to various health risks such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. According to World Health Organization, some 829,000 people are estimated to die every year due to unsafe drinking water, hand hygiene, and sanitization. However, the deaths of 297,000 children aged under 5 years could be prevented each year if these risk factors are addressed effectively.

Thanks to plethora of purification technologies available in the market, consumers can now opt for water purifiers to drink clean water, free from water-borne life-threatening contaminants. In the current scenario where fear of contamination and germs has become a real threat, people are ready to spend money on purchasing the best quality water purifiers.  Besides making the water cleaner for consumption, water purifiers also improve the taste and smell of water, removing the excess concentration of TDS like sodium, calcium, magnesium, etc., which has led to their growing demand in commercial spaces like offices, restaurants, resorts, etc. Increased government initiatives by international organizations and government bodies to aware people about the ill-effects of drinking contaminated water have further accelerated the growth of global water purifiers market.

According to TechSci research on “Global Water Purifiers Market By Technology (Membrane, Media & UV), By Region (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa and South America), Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2015 – 2026”, Global water purifiers market stood at USD 41.22 billion in 2019 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.06% during 2020-2026 to reach USD 68.09 Billion by 2026,  on account of deteriorating water quality, rapid industrialization and increasing awareness about waterborne diseases. Increasing water pollution due to continuous industrial expansion and unmonitored waste discharge into water sources is deteriorating the quality of water. With rising health concerns among consumers, demand for water purifiers is expected to grow at a robust pace during forecast period.

Driving factors for Global Water Purifiers Market

Rising levels of water pollution

As per the UN report, increasingly polluted rivers in Africa, Asia and Latin America are putting approximately 300 million people at risk. Many of the diseases can be attributed to the presence of human waste in water due to lack of proper sewer management systems. However, industrial pollutants such as factory wastes, fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture, and dumping of human bodies and dead animals are further contaminating water to high toxic levels. Water pollution kills more people every year than war and violence combined due to outbreaks of water-borne diseases. Most of the water supplied by municipal authorities is unfit for drinking, thus people are increasingly purchasing water purifiers, especially in the developing economies for pure drinking water.

Increasing awareness

Understanding the importance of quality of water for human use, various international organizations are working to increase awareness about the ill-effects of consuming drinking water. Some of the UN initiatives that are helping to raise the issue includes World Water Day (advocating “Clean Water for a Healthy world”), UN-Water Thematic Priority Area on Water Quality and UN-Water Taskforce on wastewater management. Aggressive marketing campaigns launched by the water purifier manufacturers also helped in raising awareness about the ill-effects of drinking toxic or unfiltered water. Initiatives by Non-Profit Organizations and government bodies also helped to raise awareness and influence people to utilize advanced water purification system to maintain good health and hygiene.

Emergence of advanced technology in water purifiers

As more brands are jumping into the global water purifiers market, rising competition has encourages manufacturers to utilize the most advanced technology to attract potential customers. For instance, activated carbon filter in water purifiers not only reduce the toxicity levels of water by removing chlorine and VOCs, but also improves the taste and odour of water. Another advanced technology that has revolutionised the water purifier market is Ultraviolet light. The UV light water purifiers are chemical-free, cost-effective and leaves no harmful bi-products or wastewater. The major innovations in water purification systems can be attributed to the growth of global water purifiers market.

Rising disposable income

Water purifiers are not cheap, but certainly a great investment for your health. With the increasing amount of water pollution, boiling water is insufficient to remove toxins. The chemicals and toxins need to be eliminated using the advanced technology that most water purifiers offer. People with rising disposable income are investing a great deal in maintaining health and hygiene, especially in the developing economies. As more and more people are becoming economically stronger, there have been significant demand for water purifiers, which has been ultimately fuelling the growth of global water purifiers market.

Rapid urbanization

As people continue to descend from villages to urban setups, the demand for water purifiers continue to boost. With increasing standards of living and awareness about health and hygiene, urban people are employing advanced water purifiers at home for reducing the health risks associated with water-borne diseases. The extensive demand for water purifiers from growing number of industries, factories, commercial spaces, etc. are also accelerating the growth of global water purifiers market.

Growth in sales channels

Rise in the use of e-commerce and omni-channel retail with increasing global internet penetration has boosted the sales of water purifiers in the recent years. The online platforms enable consumers to compare specification, prices, and features, and offer lucrative discounts to attract potential buyers. Eliminating the need to visit a brick-and-mortar store to make a purchase, the e-commerce platforms offer convenience and at-home delivery, which motivates customers to purchase products. Thus, growth of e-commerce has been significant in propelling the demand for water purifiers globally.

Growing adoption of solar water purifiers that offers clean drinking water without electricity, owing to limited availability of non-renewable resources  and rising use of portable water purification devices, which care used to treat contaminated water in remote areas could boost the growth of global water purifiers market.

Impact of coronavirus on the global water purifiers market

The closing down of retail stores, financial crunch among consumers, production halt, and disruption in the global supply chain due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic declined the sales of water purifiers significantly. However, as the offices and workspaces closed and people started facing the scarcity of bottled water, there was an increase in demand for household water purifiers. People moved to e-commerce platforms to purchase water purifiers rather than visiting a brick-and-mortar store to purchase water purifiers due to lockdown restrictions. Also, the coronavirus outbreak has had a positive impact in generating awareness about health and hygiene products and increased the inclination of consumers towards health-benefitting products, which could further fuel the growth of the global water purifiers market in coming years. The unprecedented global crisis and reduced cross-border foreign direct investment flows could limit the market growth to a significant extent.

Challenges for global water purifiers market

Lack of awareness among the rural population regarding the ill-effects of contaminated water is a major challenge for the water purifier manufacturers. Severe water contamination in river, ponds, and lakes continue to increase health risks for rural people who do not use any form of filtration before consuming it. There is a huge potential of growth for the global water purifiers market by increasing awareness about water pollution and its adverse effects.

Also, another factor hindering the growth of global water purifiers is the emergence of local players who offer their products at cheap prices by comprising the quality. Inexpensive prices can attract customers to buy low-grade purifiers rather than expensive branded ones, thereby increasing health risks. Moreover, there is no regulatory body to check the claims made by the manufacturers, which could pose a great challenge for existing manufacturers in the global water purifiers market.

According to TechSci research, “Global Residential Water Purifiers Market By Technology (RO, Media, Ultraviolet, Ultrafiltration & Others), By Region (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA & South America), By Sales Channel (Indirect & Direct), Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2023”, Global residential water purifiers market stood at over $ 14.2 billion in 2017 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 12%, to surpass $ 28.5 billion by 2023. Anticipated growth in the market is majorly led by rising population, rapid urbanization and deteriorating water quality across the globe. Moreover, rising cases of water borne diseases is making people cautious about the health risk associated with drinking impure water, which is further expected to steer growth in global residential water purifiers market. Additionally, growing penetration of low-budget residential water purifier in the developing countries along with emergence of advanced and innovative water purifiers is further expected to propel demand for residential water purifiers, globally, over the course of next five years.