Water & Wastewater Asia March/April 2019

14 | MARKET REPORT
Nine Water Trends
TO Watch in 2019
Water is at a
crossroad
whereby
historical and proven
water and wastewater
utility management
practices are being
challenged. There are
now calls for increased
adoption for more
advanced solutions
By Keith Hays, Vice President and Co-Founder of Bluefield Research
such as digital water,
reclaimed water uses and
decentralised treatment, which are compelling water service providers to pay attention.
As 2019 continues to trudge onward, Bluefield Research has identified the top nine
trends to lookout for across the global water markets.
THE WATER INDUSTRY
LOOKS TO ADDRESS LEAK
MANAGEMENT
With leakage continue to be a key issue plaguing the water industry,
investment in pipes continues to dominate water infrastructure
spend. Companies are prioritising leakage management, as seen
through increased M&A activity, highlighted by Xylem’s acquisition
of Pure Technologies and Trimble’s partnership with Aquarius
Spectrum. In response to regulator Ofwat’s focus on leakage, the
large, regional utilities of the U.K. continue to lead peers in terms of
technology adoption. Interest in digital water technology across the
Australian water sector is scaling to match interest in metering and
leakage management with that of wastewater network monitoring.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
INVESTING IN DIGITAL
WATER
Venture capital players continue to provide a key finance mechanism
for solutions providers. Bluefield has tracked 193 investments since
2018, across 91 companies in 13 countries. These investments,
now surpassing US$815 million of disclosed deals, are being
executed in an environment in which more advanced technologies
are penetrating a mature water sector. This activity is highlighted
by XPV’s buyout of Metasphere, and Suez Ventures acquisition of
Optimatics, and reinforce the water industry’s appetite for digital
solutions.
Water & Wastewater Asia • March / April 2019