Global Boiler Water Treatment Market, By End User Industry (Power, Oil & Gas, Food & Beverage Processing, Pharmaceutical, Textile Paper and Others), By Region (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa and South America), Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 5.68 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	9.42%
Fastest Growing Segment	Power
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 9.75 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Boiler Water Treatment Market will grow from USD 5.68 Billion in 2025 to USD 9.75 Billion by 2031 at a 9.42% CAGR. Boiler water treatment involves the strategic application of chemical and physical processes to purify feedwater, thereby preventing scale accumulation, corrosion, and carryover within industrial boiler systems. The market’s expansion is primarily driven by robust industrial growth in developing regions and the critical need for maximizing power plant efficiency to meet escalating global energy demands. Furthermore, the universal requirement to minimize operational downtime and extend the lifespan of capital equipment supports a steady and fundamental demand for these essential treatment regimes, distinct from temporary industry trends.

Despite these strong growth factors, the market faces a significant challenge arising from increasingly stringent environmental regulations governing the discharge of chemically treated boiler blowdown water. Compliance with these rigorous disposal standards often necessitates costly additional treatment infrastructure for facility operators, potentially impacting their operational budgets. This reliance on conventional thermal systems remains vast; according to the International Energy Agency, in 2024, renewable energy sources represented just 12% of global industrial heat consumption, underscoring the continuing dominance of fossil-fuel-based boilers that mandate comprehensive water treatment solutions.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of the global power generation sector stands as the primary catalyst for the boiler water treatment market, particularly due to the continued reliance on thermal energy sources in high-growth economies. As nations ramp up infrastructure to meet soaring electricity needs, the installation of high-pressure boilers necessitates rigorous water conditioning to prevent mineral scaling and corrosion that can compromise heat transfer rates. This trend is exemplified by the aggressive capacity additions in major industrial nations; according to the China Electricity Council, January 2024, in the '2023-2024 Annual Report', the nation's installed thermal power capacity increased by 57.93 GW in 2023. Such extensive infrastructure development ensures a continuous requirement for chemical inhibitors and monitoring systems to maintain system integrity under high thermal loads.

Simultaneously, the increasing focus on energy efficiency and operational optimization compels industrial operators to adopt treatment programs that minimize water wastage and fuel consumption. Poor water quality leads to blowdown losses and scale deposits, which significantly reduce boiler thermal efficiency, thereby driving the adoption of technologies that enable higher cycles of concentration and water reuse. This operational shift is supported by major industry players delivering tangible sustainability outcomes; according to Ecolab, June 2024, in the '2023 Growth and Impact Report', their water management solutions enabled customers to conserve more than 220 billion gallons of water globally. Furthermore, the broader industrial energy landscape reinforces this trajectory, as according to the Energy Institute, in 2024, global primary energy consumption reached a record high of 620 Exajoules during the previous year, highlighting the immense scale of thermal operations requiring optimized water treatment protocols.

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Key Market Challenges

The stringent environmental regulations governing the discharge of chemically treated boiler blowdown water pose a significant challenge that directly hampers the growth of the Global Boiler Water Treatment Market. Compliance with these rigorous disposal standards often necessitates the installation of costly additional infrastructure, such as zero-liquid discharge systems, to manage effluent quality. This substantial capital expenditure diverts financial resources away from the expansion of core boiler capacities and the optimization of feedwater treatment regimes. Consequently, industrial operators face constrained operational budgets, leading to deferred maintenance or a reluctance to commission new fossil-fuel-based boiler systems, which ultimately restricts the demand for water treatment chemicals and services.

This financial strain is evident in the shifting investment priorities within the sector. According to the 'Water Environment Federation', in '2024', the industrial water reuse market in North America is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8% through 2030. This rapid expansion highlights the industry's forced focus on back-end wastewater management technologies to meet regulatory requirements. As facilities channel increased funding into these compliance-driven discharge solutions, the capital available for front-end boiler water treatment procurement is effectively reduced, thereby decelerating the overall market’s growth potential.

Key Market Trends

The Adoption of IoT-Enabled Real-Time Monitoring Systems is fundamentally reshaping boiler operations by enabling the transition from reactive troubleshooting to predictive maintenance. Industrial facilities are increasingly integrating smart sensors and cloud analytics to continuously track critical parameters such as conductivity and corrosion rates, allowing for precise, automated chemical dosing that prevents scale formation before it occurs. This digital transformation not only minimizes the frequency of manual inspections but also optimizes the consumption of treatment chemicals, directly enhancing operational margins for plant operators. The substantial market traction of these advanced technologies is reflected in recent financial performances; according to Veolia, February 2025, in the '2024 Annual Results', its Water Technologies division achieved an organic EBITDA growth of 15.7% in 2024, reaching €612 million, a surge driven largely by the robust demand for its engineering systems and service-based technologies.

Simultaneously, the Growth of Performance-Based Water Management Service Models is shifting the market focus from simple chemical procurement to outcome-based contracts. In this commercial arrangement, treatment vendors are compensated based on tangible operational improvements, such as quantifiable water and energy savings, rather than solely on the volume of products supplied. This model aligns the financial incentives of providers with the sustainability targets of industrial clients, encouraging the implementation of strategies that maximize water reuse and thermal efficiency without requiring heavy upfront capital investment. This value-driven trajectory is gaining significant momentum; according to Solenis, April 2025, in the '2024 Sustainability Report', its ValueAdvantage partner program, which specifically quantifies operational and environmental benefits for clients, delivered $257 million in documented value to customers globally in 2024.

Segmental Insights

The power segment is projected to emerge as the fastest-growing category within the global boiler water treatment market. This rapid expansion is driven by rising global electricity demand and the continuous development of thermal power plants in developing regions. Additionally, stringent environmental mandates enforced by authorities like the Environmental Protection Agency necessitate rigorous water treatment to manage scale and corrosion. These regulatory standards ensure operational efficiency and minimize harmful discharge, accelerating the adoption of treatment solutions in power generation facilities worldwide to maintain system integrity and compliance.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific holds the leading position in the global boiler water treatment market due to extensive industrial expansion across the region. This dominance is primarily driven by a substantial reliance on thermal power generation in major economies such as China and India, creating consistent demand for treatment solutions to maintain boiler efficiency. Furthermore, the rapid growth of the manufacturing and food processing sectors has increased the installation of industrial boilers. Compliance with environmental mandates regarding wastewater discharge further compels industries to adopt effective treatment protocols to ensure operational stability and extend equipment lifespan.

Recent Developments

• In August 2025, Buckman Laboratories and Atul Ltd announced a joint venture to provide advanced water treatment solutions in India. This strategic collaboration combined the expertise of both entities to serve industries such as chemical processing, power generation, and primary metals, where effective boiler water treatment is critical for asset protection and efficiency. The partnership aimed to leverage local manufacturing capabilities and global technical support to deliver customized chemical programs. This move was intended to strengthen the company’s presence in the Asian region and enhance its ability to offer sustainable water management solutions to industrial customers in the boiler water treatment market.
• In October 2024, Kurita America introduced a novel solution known as Dropwise Condensation Technology to the North American market. Originally developed by the parent company in Japan, this patent-pending technology was designed to be dosed continuously into steam lines to increase the water repellency of heat transfer surfaces. The innovation aimed to eliminate the thin water film that inhibits heat conduction, thereby significantly improving heat transfer efficiency and reducing steam consumption. This launch underscored the company's commitment to advancing breakthrough research in boiler water treatment to drive energy conservation and productivity in industrial facilities.
• In March 2024, Solenis recognized a chemical production facility belonging to BASF for the successful implementation of a boiler water optimization program. The project, conducted at a site in South Carolina, involved a comprehensive boiler tuning effort that resulted in annual savings of $27,002 through reduced makeup water usage, wastewater volume, and fuel consumption. By addressing carryover issues and improving boiler cycles with specialized treatment strategies, the collaboration demonstrated the efficacy of optimizing boiler water chemistry. This development highlighted the company’s focus on delivering operational efficiency and measurable sustainability improvements to clients in the global boiler water treatment market.
• In February 2024, Veolia Water Technologies launched the latest generation of its high-capacity water distillation and steam generation systems, known as Polaris™ 2.0. The new product range was designed to reliably deliver water for injection and pure steam, primarily for the pharmaceutical industry, while complying with major pharmacopoeia standards. The company highlighted that these units were engineered to enhance sustainability by reducing the consumption of industrial steam and cooling water. This product launch expanded the company's offerings in the boiler water treatment and steam generation sector, addressing the growing industrial demand for efficient, compliant, and sustainable high-purity water solutions.

Key Market Players

• Ecolab Inc.
• SUEZ S.A.
• Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
• Solenis LLC
• BASF SE
• Kemira Oyj
• Akzo Nobel N.V.
• ChemTreat, Inc.
• Buckman Laboratories International, Inc.
• Thermax Limited

By End User Industry	By Region
Power Oil & Gas Food & Beverage Processing Pharmaceutical Textile Paper and Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Boiler Water Treatment Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Boiler Water Treatment Market, By End User Industry:

• Power
• Oil & Gas
• Food & Beverage Processing
• Pharmaceutical
• Textile Paper and Others

• Boiler Water Treatment Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE