U.S. Water Purifier Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Point-of-use Filters {Under the Counter Filters, Counter Top Filters, Pitcher Filters, Faucet-mounted Filters, and Others} and Point-of-entry Filters), By Category (RO Filters, UV Filters, Gravity Filters, and Others), By Application (Residential and Commercial), By Distribution Channel (Offline Stores and Online Stores), and Regional Forecast, 2023-2030

The U.S. water purifier market size was USD 6.12 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 6.44 billion in 2023 to USD 9.59 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% during the 2023-2030 period.

Water purification systems have gained traction in the country on the back of higher spending capacity and awareness programs carried out by agencies such as WHO and the U.S. EPA. The U.S. has primarily sourced water from the great lakes or rivers. But increasing pollution of these resources after the industrial revolution has obligated the usage of treatment systems to safeguard the health of the residents. Filter media eliminate contaminants in the raw water and enhance its quality.

The people in the U.S. are becoming more health-conscious and have taken up regular drinking habits to support the proper working of essential systems. The rising adoption of health apps helping regulate proper drinking habits in the leading app stores is a testimony to this trend. As pure water offers multiple benefits, consumers have turned to water purifier manufacturers to set up purification systems in residential and commercial spaces to ensure a regular clean supply.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Consumer Awareness Regarding Clean Drinking Water Boosted Market Growth During COVID-19

While the entire U.S. was not under stringent lockdown regulations during the pandemic, many states had restricted the transportation of men and materials. As purification is a labor-intensive industry, the pandemic resulted in severe supply chain interruption. As many companies import filters from Asian countries, a shortage of material, doubled with a shortage in manpower due to health reasons, was observed across the nation. Many companies could not fulfill the existing orders in time due to logistic failures. This resulted in them facing a capital crunch during the period, affecting their growth potential. However, the gradual lifting of lockdowns and the announcement of the industry being ‘essential’ resulted in companies resuming their operations. Many companies took the strategy of advertising the benefits of pure water in the pandemic, thus improving consumer awareness regarding the benefits of their offerings. This trend has provided a push to the market, which was significantly affected during the past year.

LATEST TRENDS

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Advent of Smart Purifiers is a Key Trend in the Market

Smart purification devices are based on technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). They are easy to run and are equipped with multi-purification stages, which can be controlled via touch and voice responses according to the consumer's requirements. On the flipside, smart sensors are being deployed across water purification devices to study the quality and display quantities such as TDS, temperature, and O2 content on the screens for the customer to identify the quality. These sensors also send notifications to the consumer and purifier contractors for the timely maintenance of filters. Therefore, the advent of these smart technologies is projected to fuel market growth.

DRIVING FACTORS

Numerous Benefits of Water Purification Devices to Drive Market Growth

The primary function of purification products is to remove harmful bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants and make the water safe for drinking and other domestic uses. As per a report by WHO, half of the world’s population is projected to live in aquatic-stressed areas by 2025. Hence, it has become essential for purification products to make the maximum possible utilization of water resources. Contamination is a major source of waterborne diseases including dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid. WHO estimates that drinking contaminated water causes diarrhea, resulting in around 500,000 deaths every year. By removing cryptosporidium & giardia, purifiers reduce the risk of gastrointestinal diseases by 33%. Also, it helps in removing chlorine & chlorine byproducts and lowers the risk of rectal & bladder cancer.

Purification units control the quality of water, taste, and flavor. Therefore, using clean and pure water for washing and cooking retains the taste of food. Whole house filter systems remove certain minerals, affecting the quality of the overall plumbing system. Filtration to the point of entry improves the life of piping systems and saves the maintenance cost for the same. As water purifiers play many vital roles, their demand is projected to expand in the U.S. in the upcoming years.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Higher Maintenance Cost to Challenge for Market Growth

In order to keep the water quality intact, the filters used in purification should be replaced timely. The replacement benchmarks for particular filters depend on the technology type equipped in the system. In general, point-of-entry filters need to be changed after five to six years, whereas point-of-use filters should be replaced after six to twelve months. This, in turn, increases the maintenance cost of overall purification. Therefore, the higher filter cost represents a crucial challenge to market growth.

SEGMENTATION

By Product Type Analysis

Point-of-Use Filters Held Lions Share in 2022 Owing to Comparative Advantages Offered by these Filters

Based on product type, the market is segmented into point-of-entry filters and point-of-use filters. The point-of-use filters segment is divided into under-the-counter filter, countertop filter, pitcher filter, faucet-mounted filter, and others. The point-of-use filters are the largest and fast growing segment in this market. POU filters have compact setups and can be easily installed without acquiring too much space. Low volume capacity makes these filters suitable for lighter applications where water is finally consumed. Reverse osmosis point-of-use water filter are becoming popular due to their higher quality output and space-saving designs.

The point-of-entry systems are fitted at the main line, where water enters the storage and is ideal for treating all household applications. Point-of-entry filters are also known as whole-house filters. The purified water is delivered to the kitchen, bathroom, toilet, refrigerator, and washing machine. The point-of-entry filters are expensive and have a higher treatment capacity than point-of-use filters. Higher capacity and volume make point-of-entry filters more durable.

By Category Analysis

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RO Filters to Lead the Market Due to their Efficiency

On the basis of category, the market is segmented as RO filter, UV filter, Gravity filter, and others. All these categories are traded in offline and online distribution channels in the U.S. Among these, in 2022, RO filters held a majority share in the market. RO filters are expensive and specially designed to obtain bottled water quality. These are advance filters, which remove 99% of the contaminants.

Sometimes, these filters restrict vital minerals, including calcium, iron, and magnesium, which further alter taste. Moreover, the RO filters require timely replacement of filter media, which increases the overall maintenance cost of these filters.

In gravity filters, water is purified with the help of gravitational force. It is filtered from the upper compartment to the bottom without external force. In these filters, mostly activated carbon is used as filter media. Moreover, these filters are comparatively less expensive, easily mounted at any place, and do not need any electricity and running water to operate. With the proper and timely replacement of filters, these filters last for a longer time.

By Application Analysis

Residential Application to Exhibit the Fastest Growth Owing to High Water Consumption

Based on application, the market is bifurcated into residential and commercial. Residential was the leading segment in 2022 and is estimated to remain dominant in the near future. Compared with commercial buildings, water is extensively consumed in household buildings for cooking, bathing, washing, and other tasks. As per the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), an average family in America daily consumes around 300 gallons of water. Approximately 17% goes for cloth washing, 19% via faucets, and 20% for showers. Moreover, rapid urbanization in the country is expected to develop more need to purify water for household applications during the forecast period. Thus, with the increasing need for clean water, demand for purifiers is projected to increase in the near future.

By Distribution Channel Analysis

Offline Stores Segment to Lead the Market Due to Rising Consumer Inclination toward this Distribution Channel

Based on distribution channel, the market is segmented as offline stores and online stores. Offline stores mainly include specialty stores (company outlets), hypermarkets, supermarkets, and departmental stores. Consumers in the U.S. are more inclined to purchase water purifies from offline stores. Different purification technologies and designs are showcased in exhibitions, conferences, and water association events. As purifier falls under healthcare-related consumer appliances, most end-users prefer offline stores to cross-check the quality and aftersales services. Large-scale manufacturers and retailers even offer attractive discounts along with end-to-end services from purchasing to installation. Also, word-of-mouth marketing helped offline stores to establish trust among consumers over the years. Thus, the segment is projected to remain dominant over the forecast period.

The rapid penetration of internet access and continuous developments in offering water purifiers through e-commerce websites are the key drivers for the segment growth. The segment is projected to register the fastest growth during the forecast period. International players such as Pentair, Culligan, Brita, Panasonic, and small & medium scaled manufacturers have listed their products online. The top e-commerce sites in the U.S. are Amazon, Walmart, BestBuy, eBay, and others. These sites also offer reliable sales services along with ease in payment and home delivery. Most consumers prefer online sites to check product features and ratings. Still going COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of developing resilient online sales channels, which is further expected to fuel the segment growth in the near future.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Market Players Focus on New Product Launches to Maintain Their Position in the Market

Key players operating in the U.S. market are considerably investing in establishing new water purification manufacturing plants. Most of the leading purification device manufacturers are developing new products incorporating the latest purification and Internet of Things technologies to achieve a competitive edge. Leading companies have also adopted merger and acquisition strategies to extend their product offerings and geographical reach. Small and medium-scale companies are entering distribution contracts with regional suppliers to augment their revenues. Moreover, marketing through advertising campaigns and developing retail websites are some of the few sales strategies implemented by local players.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• A.O. Smith Corporation (U.S.)


• Brita LP (U.S.)


• Omnipure Filter Company (U.S.)


• Helen of Troy (U.S.)


• APEC Water Systems (U.S.)


• Instapure Brands, Inc. (U.S.)


• Crystal Quest (U.S.)


• Pentair PLC (U.S.)


• Paragon Water Systems, Inc. (U.S.)


• Apex Water Filters, Inc. (U.S.)


• Pure-Pro Water Corporation (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• June 2022: A.O. Smith Corporation announced that it acquired Florida-based water treatment firm, Atlantic Filter. The move would enable the company to expand its capabilities in Florida and beyond.


• December 2021: Culligan and Waterlogic Group Holdings joined forces to develop sustainable purification, treatment, and water filtration services. With this collaboration, both companies’ combined their expertise to expand into new markets, including the U.S. and to strengthen their existing distribution networks.


• July 2021:  A.O. Smith Corporation announced the acquisition of Pennsylvania-based water treatment solutions provider, Master Water Conditioning Corporation.


• September 2020: LARQ launched its innovative pitcher with UV light and plant-based filter. The company aimed to provide safe drinking water to American consumers and reduce plastic pollution caused by the use of bottled water.


• April 2019: A. O. Smith announced the acquisition of Wisconsin-based water treatment solutions provider, Water Right, Inc. The company acquired the family-owned, Appleton, Wisconsin-based Water-Right, Inc. for a transaction of USD 107 million in cash. The acquisition includes all Water-Right subsidiaries, real estate, and a sister company, Mineral-Right, Inc. The company made the acquisition to expand its presence in direct-to-consumer and retail spaces and support the company’s growth trajectory in the water treatment segment.

REPORT COVERAGE

An Infographic Representation of US Water Purifier Market

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The report provides key insights on the U.S. water purifier market forecasts. Quantitative data include the market size (USD Billion) across profiled segments. The report also includes revenue, market share, and the growth rates of all segments across the country. Qualitative data covers the detailed analysis of key market driving factors, restraining factors, market opportunities, key market trends, and revenue shares. Competitive landscape chapter covers the detailed profiling and SWOT analysis of the leading players, contributing to the U.S. water purifier market growth.

Report Scope & Segmentation