Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/907858
Survey findings suggest a market with the technical expertise, innovative ideas, and will to service customers' water needs, while a lack of money, reluctance to take chances on new technology, and instances of poor governance present challenges Our survey was conducted during the four weeks to 19 July, to gauge perceptions among desalination and water reuse profes- sionals about the factors that are influencing the development of water reuse markets globally. The results from 347 respond- ents from a wide range of industry roles across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and Africa (MEA), pro- vide a broad set of perspectives on what is driving reuse, and how markets are shaping up. The findings reinforce the generally held view that for those working in the water industry in the Americas, Asia Pacific and MEA, the challenges around reuse are more immediate compared to those in Europe. Drivers Water scarcity and cost emerged as the factors considered to be the strongest drivers of water reuse. Scarcity was highest, scoring 3.79 out of a possible five points, followed by cost at 3.52. This puts them on average between a "mid-level" and a "strong" driver. Scarcity was a concern particularly among those working in the Americas, and even more so for the sub-group focusing on munici - pal projects. Cost was scored the highest by those working in MEA, closely followed by the Americas and Asia Pacific, while for Europe, the cost factor is markedly less of a strain. 24 Research December 2017 Water. desalination + reuse WATER REUSE: a growing market of opportunity and challenge Survey respondents were asked to rank five factors according to how strong a driver of water reuse projects they considered the factor to be. Water scarcity scored highest, having 68.94 per cent of respondents ranking it as either a "strong" or "very strong" driver of reuse. The score was highest among respondents working in the Americas, at 3.98 out of a possible five, compared to 3.79 for the respondent set overall. For this group, 75.21 per cent rated water scarcity as a "strong" or "very strong" driver. The score is high for those focusing on municipal work as well, at 3.94. Out of 132 respondents whose roles apply to the Americas, 88 signalled that their work also covers the municipal sector. The score for water scarcity as either a "strong" or "very strong" driver among this sub-group was 75.31 per cent, likely reflecting the rise of reuse as part of the municipal water supply network across the US. • Respondents in the Americas scored water scarcity the highest • Cost was scored most highly by those working in the Middle East and Africa • Regulatory drivers for non- potable reuse are strong in Asia Pacific and Europe How do you rate the following as drivers of water reuse in your markets to date? Water scarcity is by far the most important driver of water reuse globally, with cost a strong second, while regulation and technological drivers are considered more neutral factors RANKING OF DRIVERS OF WATER REUSE DRIVERS ALL RESPONDENTS: 309 5 4 3 2 1 0 Score Water scarcity drivers Cost drivers Regulatory drivers (potable) Technological drivers Regulatory drivers (non-potable) 3.79 3.52 3.24 3.2 3.12 WHAT THE SCORES MEAN: 1 very weak driver 2 weak driver 3 mid-level driver 4 strong driver 5 very strong driver