Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals Market to Hit $57.9B by 2030

“As sustainability pressures mount worldwide, specialty water treatment chemicals are quietly transforming municipal and industrial water management, driving cleaner production and shaping a future where chemistry, intelligence, and sustainability converge.”

Boston, Feb. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest BCC Research report, “Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals: Technologies and Global Markets” is projected to grow from $42.4 billion in 2025 to $57.9 billion by the end of 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2025 through 2030.

The report provides a detailed analysis of the global market for specialty water treatment chemicals, offering qualitative and quantitative insights into market trends, revenues and growth drivers. It segments the market by function (including corrosion inhibitors, coagulants, biocides, scale inhibitors and nanochemicals), treatment type (industrial, municipal, wastewater and seawater), source (conventional and biobased), end user (such as power, oil and gas, pulp and paper, metal and chemical industries), application (process and treatment), and region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and MEA). The study highlights emerging trends like sustainability through biobased chemicals and technological advances in water treatment solutions.

The factors driving the market include:

Decline in Freshwater Resources: Freshwater availability is decreasing due to population growth, industrialization, and climate change. This scarcity pushes industries and municipalities to adopt advanced water treatment solutions, increasing demand for specialty chemicals that enable water reuse and recycling.

Stringency on Water Standards and Water Discharge Regulations: Governments are enforcing stricter water quality and discharge norms to protect ecosystems and the health of their citizens. Industries must comply with these regulations, driving the use of specialty chemicals like coagulants, biocides, and flocculants to meet legal standards.

Water Quality Issues: Contamination from pollutants, heavy metal and pathogens is rising globally. Poor water quality impacts industrial processes and public health, creating a need for chemicals that improve clarity, remove toxins and control microbial growth.

Nutrient Recovery: Wastewater contains valuable nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Recovering these reduces pollution and supports sustainability. Specialty chemicals play a key role in processes that extract these nutrients for reuse, such as fertilizer production.

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Report Synopsis

Innovations

• Scimplify is a business-to-business (B2B) platform focused on end-to-end sourcing and manufacturing of specialty chemicals. The company raised $3.67 million in funding from 3one4 Capital and Beenext. The company intends to shift to a 60% export-oriented model, expanding its footprint to 20 countries and entering four new chemical categories. Furthermore, Scimplifi will establish laboratories in three additional categories to support ongoing research efforts.

• In 2025, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) entered a TADOX Technology and Trademark License Agreement (TTLA) with Ion Exchange India with a focus on commercializing TERI’s patented wastewater treatment technology for industrial applications.

Emerging startups

• Scimplify
• Solugen
• Distil

AI Impact on the Market for Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals

The chemical industry has the lowest exposure to gen AI due to its long innovation cycles, stringent regulatory demands, high upfront costs, a concentrated customer base that drives demand for rapid adoption of advances, and limited data availability. In the future, AI transformation in the chemical industry will be more comprehensive, leading to increased automation through AI-generated chemical compounds and autonomous to self-driving labs.

For an in-depth analysis of AI’s impact on this sector, explore the complete AI Impact on Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals Market - BCC Pulse Report

The report addresses the following questions:

1. What are the projected market size and growth rate?

• The market for specialty water treatment chemicals is projected to $57.9 billion by the end of 2030, at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

2. What factors are driving the growth of the market?

• Key drivers include:

• Decline in freshwater resources.
• Stringency in water standards and water discharge regulations.
• Water quality issues.

3. What are the challenges and opportunities of the market?

• Key challenges include:

• Lack of effective methods to remove emerging contaminants.
• Developing alternative technologies to substitute for chemicals.
• Lack of social acceptance of treated water.

• The key opportunity is:

• Nutrient recovery.

4. Which market segments are covered in the report?

• The market is segmented into function, treatment, application, source, end-user, and region.

5. Which function will be dominant through 2030?

• The corrosion inhibitors segment will continue to dominate the market through the end of 2030. Corrosion inhibitors are widely used in the water treatment process due to their versatile applications in various systems, including cooling water systems, boiler and steam systems, closed-loop heating systems, industrial process water systems, and drinking water distribution systems.

6. Which region has the largest market share?

• Asia-Pacific accounts for the largest share of the global market for specialty water treatment chemicals. Its market share is gaining due to its emerging industrial economies, vast population base, and lack of clean water in the region. These factors make the Asia-Pacific region an extremely important developing market for specialty water treatment chemicals.

Market leaders include:

• BASF
• CLARIANT
• DIAMINES AND CHEMICALS LTD.
• DUPONT
• EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO.
• ECOLAB INC.
• HALLIBURTON
• IEI
• KEMIRA
• KURITA WATER INDUSTRIES LTD.
• MECO TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.
• SANYO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LTD.
• SOLVAY
• THE CHEMOURS CO.
• VEOLIA

Related report:

Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies: Global Markets: The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global market for water and wastewater treatment technologies, offering both qualitative and quantitative insights. It examines key market segments, including offerings (technologies and chemicals), process stages (primary, secondary, tertiary and advanced), and end users (municipal and industrial). The study highlights current trends and forecasts future growth, helping stakeholders understand market dynamics and identify opportunities in the market for water and wastewater treatment solutions.

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