Water treatment chemicals

The demand for water treatment chemicals in the United States is expected to rise at a five percent annual rate between 2000 and 2005, almost double that commonly projected for GDP. Higher value formulations are replacing low-cost, commodity compounds in almost all markets and applications. The nominal price of water treatment chemicals is expected to increase by over three percent per year from 2000 to 2010. Current market breakdown, which should remain stable, shows manufacturing industries accounting for about fifty percent of shipments, followed by municipalities, electricity generators, commercial, and residential users. Applications or end-uses include cooling, supply, waste, process, and boiler water. There are over 300 suppliers of water treatment chemicals in the United States., an eclectic mix of large and small, diversified and specialty firms. Three firms (Suez/Ondeo-Nalco, GE Betz, and Ashland Specialty Chemical) hold about thirty-five percent of the U.S. market.