Water Infrastructure & Resiliency: Industry Report & Investment Case

September 2020

Water Industry Overview

Whether it’s used to manufacture pharmaceuticals or to brew your morning cup of coffee, water is a vital resource. While 332,500,000 cubic miles of water exist on Earth, a mere 4% is freshwater – and only about 0.9% of that exists as surface water.1 With global population rising to an estimated 10 billion by 20552, the global supply of freshwater will need to be stretched and new sources of potable water will need to be developed. A resilient future depends on innovation in the ways we access and utilize this precious resource.

The global water market is attractive for two main reasons: reliability and opportunity. Due to its essential nature, the demand for water remains consistent despite fluctuations in the economy. But the availability of freshwater is increasingly in question, due to the triple threat of population growth, climate change (with increasing droughts and other impacts from changes in global weather patterns), and water resource contamination from industrial processes. These significant drivers and resulting impacts ensure the need for the continued development of innovative technologies to capture, treat, and distribute water to thirsty consumers – and to all the industries through which water flows.