Water & Sewer Utilities Industry Profile

Companies in this industry operate water treatment and water supply systems; sewer systems and sewage treatment facilities; and steam and air-conditioning supply systems. Major companies include American Water, Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America), and California Water Service (all based in the US), along with France-based global giants SUEZ and Veolia Environnement, Brazil's SABESP, and the UK's Thames Water.

Though public utilities dominate, competition among private water management companies takes place in major markets in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Global water and wastewater expenditures by utilities and industrial users is expected to grow from $770 billion in 2018 to some $915 billion in 2023, according to Global Water Intelligence. The world's population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2040, and water demand is growing at twice the rate of the global population.

The US commercial water and sewer utilities industry includes about 4,800 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $15 billion. The commercial industry is small compared to the water and sewer services operated by many regional and local governments in the US. Government-owned water and sewer utility services have annual revenue of about $118 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand depends on commercial and residential water needs, which are related to population growth and to the level of economic activity. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficiency of operations, because prices ...