Only 39% of wastewater in OECD countries reaches at least secondary treatment. That leaves 61% treated at no more than primary level or discharged untreated. The funding scale is equally stark, with a $55.2 billion global water and wastewater treatment market in 2023 and a projected $1.4 trillion water infrastructure market by 2030.
Key Takeaways
- 39% of wastewater in OECD countries is treated to a level that is at least secondary treatment, while 61% receives at most primary treatment or is discharged untreated
- $2.2 trillion global wastewater management cost estimate for 2030 to meet wastewater collection and treatment targets
- $55.2 billion global water and wastewater treatment market size in 2023, reflecting large-scale capital needs for clean water infrastructure
- The global water infrastructure market is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2030, driven by replacement and expansion of treatment and distribution systems
- In 2022, EU member states reported collecting 77% of urban wastewater—supporting procurement for sewerage to reduce untreated discharges
- Utilities in OECD countries invested an estimated $85 billion per year in wastewater and water infrastructure, supporting ongoing demand for clean water technologies
- In the EU, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive required collection systems for 117 million population-equivalents by 2000, driving long-term procurement of wastewater infrastructure
- In 2022, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) caused about 829,000 diarrheal deaths globally
- Diarrhea causes an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year, linked to unsafe water, sanitation and handwashing (WASH)
- In 2019, 297,000 deaths were attributed to unsafe water and sanitation for children under 5 in low- and middle-income countries
- Activated carbon adsorption can achieve 80% to 99% removal of many organic micropollutants from water, depending on contaminant and system conditions
- Typical conventional drinking water treatment removes 70% to 90% of turbidity after coagulation and filtration when optimized, improving clarity and downstream disinfection performance
- Water utilities that install smart leak detection report measurable reductions in pipeline break rates; a study found 35% fewer leaks in monitored zones after deployment
- The EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) sets maximum levels for contaminants such as nitrates, pesticides, and PFAS categories via revised rules, affecting compliance monitoring for clean water
- The U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes federal standards; EPA sets enforceable maximum contaminant levels for regulated contaminants, with 96 contaminants regulated as of recent EPA updates
Most wastewater still lacks adequate treatment, driving major infrastructure and WASH investments to prevent unsafe water deaths.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health & Impact8 stats
01
In 2022, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) caused about 829,000 diarrheal deaths globally
02
Diarrhea causes an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year, linked to unsafe water, sanitation and handwashing (WASH)
03
In 2019, 297,000 deaths were attributed to unsafe water and sanitation for children under 5 in low- and middle-income countries
04
Household air pollution and WASH are both major drivers of child health; in 2020, improvements in drinking water quality could avert millions of diarrheal cases annually—an effect quantified in Global Burden of Disease analyses
05
UNICEF estimates that 1 in 10 people globally lack safe drinking water, increasing exposure to waterborne pathogens
06
A 2018 systematic review found that chlorination reduces diarrheal disease incidence by about 18% compared with no treatment at the household level
07
A 2020 Cochrane review found that household water treatment and safe storage reduce diarrheal illness by about 40% in children under 5
08
A 2019 meta-analysis reported that point-of-use filtration reduces diarrheal disease by 12% to 24% depending on filtration type and study design
Interpretation
Health & Impact Interpretation
Under the Health & Impact lens, unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene are responsible for roughly 829,000 diarrheal deaths in 2022 and about 1.6 million deaths per year overall, with UNICEF noting 1 in 10 people lack safe drinking water and evidence suggesting chlorination can cut diarrheal disease incidence by around 18%.
02 · Category
Policy & Standards7 stats
01
The EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) sets maximum levels for contaminants such as nitrates, pesticides, and PFAS categories via revised rules, affecting compliance monitoring for clean water
02
The U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes federal standards; EPA sets enforceable maximum contaminant levels for regulated contaminants, with 96 contaminants regulated as of recent EPA updates
03
In the U.S., the Lead and Copper Rule revisions established that water systems using corrosion control must achieve control effectiveness as measured by lead action levels at customer taps
04
The WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality recommend maintaining microbial safety through multiple barriers, rather than relying on a single treatment step
05
UN SDG 6.3 aims by 2030 to improve water quality by reducing pollution, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse
06
The EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) sets requirements for collection and treatment of urban wastewater and addresses discharges into sensitive areas
07
The U.S. Clean Water Act provides the basis for regulating discharges of pollutants into U.S. waters, driving permitting that affects clean water quality outcomes
Interpretation
Policy & Standards Interpretation
Across Policy and Standards, major frameworks like the EU’s Drinking Water Directive and the US Safe Drinking Water Act reinforce enforceable limits on contaminants such as nitrates, pesticides, and PFAS, while WHO and UN SDG 6.3 push for broader safety and quality goals by 2030 such as halving the proportion of untreated wastewater.
03 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
$2.2 trillion global wastewater management cost estimate for 2030 to meet wastewater collection and treatment targets
02
$55.2 billion global water and wastewater treatment market size in 2023, reflecting large-scale capital needs for clean water infrastructure
03
The global water infrastructure market is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2030, driven by replacement and expansion of treatment and distribution systems
04
$5.8 billion global desalination market size in 2023, supporting clean water supply for arid and coastal regions
05
$1.6 billion global water leak detection market size in 2023 to reduce non-revenue water and improve system resilience
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The Market Size picture for clean water is rapidly expanding, with estimates rising from a $55.2 billion global water and wastewater treatment market in 2023 to projections of $1.4 trillion for water infrastructure by 2030 and a $2.2 trillion global wastewater management cost by 2030 to meet collection and treatment targets.
More related reading
04 · Category
Water Quality & Efficiency4 stats
01
Activated carbon adsorption can achieve 80% to 99% removal of many organic micropollutants from water, depending on contaminant and system conditions
02
Typical conventional drinking water treatment removes 70% to 90% of turbidity after coagulation and filtration when optimized, improving clarity and downstream disinfection performance
03
Water utilities that install smart leak detection report measurable reductions in pipeline break rates; a study found 35% fewer leaks in monitored zones after deployment
04
A 2022 study reported that advanced oxidation processes can reduce pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals by 50% to 90% depending on oxidant type and operating conditions
Interpretation
Water Quality & Efficiency Interpretation
In the Water Quality & Efficiency category, modern treatment and monitoring are making a measurable difference as activated carbon can remove 80% to 99% of many organic micropollutants, optimized conventional treatment can cut turbidity by 70% to 90%, smart leak detection has been linked to 35% fewer leaks, and advanced oxidation can reduce pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors by 50% to 90%.
05 · Category
Demand & Procurement3 stats
01
In 2022, EU member states reported collecting 77% of urban wastewater—supporting procurement for sewerage to reduce untreated discharges
02
Utilities in OECD countries invested an estimated $85 billion per year in wastewater and water infrastructure, supporting ongoing demand for clean water technologies
03
In the EU, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive required collection systems for 117 million population-equivalents by 2000, driving long-term procurement of wastewater infrastructure
Interpretation
Demand & Procurement Interpretation
In 2022, EU member states collected just 77% of urban wastewater, showing that demand for sewerage and wastewater infrastructure procurement remains urgent to cut untreated discharges.
06 · Category
Industry Overview6 stats
01
Non-revenue water averages 32% across water utilities globally (industry benchmark estimate).
02
Water losses can represent about $14 billion in lost revenue annually for water utilities globally (World Bank estimate).
03
World Bank projects estimate that water supply and sanitation investments in developing countries are projected to require $114 billion per year for SDG 6.1/6.2 progress (2016–2030 gap estimate).
04
The World Bank estimated that at least $50 billion in annual funding is required to meet water supply and sanitation targets, with a financing gap of $63 billion (2017 estimate).
05
39% of wastewater in OECD countries is treated to a level that is at least secondary treatment, while 61% receives at most primary treatment or is discharged untreated
06
47% of wastewater from households in low- and middle-income countries is discharged untreated or insufficiently treated (global estimate).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the clean water industry, losses and under-treatment are still a major drag on progress, with non-revenue water averaging 32% globally and 47% of wastewater in low- and middle-income countries discharged untreated or insufficiently treated.
report visual · Comparison
Clean Water Impact: Burden of Unsafe Water & Treatment Potential
Unsafe water and sanitation drive major diarrheal deaths, while household water treatment can substantially reduce diarrheal illness.
In 2022, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) caused about 829,000 diarrheal deaths globally829,000
A 2020 Cochrane review found that household water treatment and safe storage reduce diarrheal illness by about 40% in ch
40%
Diarrhea causes an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year, linked to unsafe water, sanitation and handwashing (WASH)
1.6
source-verifiedwho.int · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Clean Water Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/clean-water-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Clean Water Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/clean-water-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Clean Water Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/clean-water-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)