Chemicals firms see their provision of chemicals that ensure clean water supplies as an increasingly important contributor to quality of life in industrialized and developing countries. Technologies include nanotech iron hydroxide for the low-cost removal of arsenic in drinking water in developing countries.

Demand in the global water treatment chemical and equipment market is growing at 6.4%/year and will reach an estimated $40 billion in 2011, says The Freedonia Group (Cleveland). Demand for water treatment activities is growing particularly in countries such as China and India. In mature markets growth is driven by more sophisticated water treatment technologies such as high-end membrane desalination and specialty chemicals for industrial water treatment.