PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1933736
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1933736
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems are sophisticated water treatment processes aimed at entirely eliminating liquid waste discharge from industrial facilities. These systems treat wastewater by recycling and recovering as much water as feasible, frequently reusing it within the facility, and transforming the residual waste into solid residue that can be either disposed of or further processed.
The main types of ZLD systems include conventional ZLD systems and hybrid ZLD systems. In a conventional ZLD system, the treatment process aims to eliminate all liquid waste from a system. This involves several steps, including pretreatment, filtration, and evaporation, utilizing various technologies such as thermal-based and membrane-based methods. Conventional ZLD systems find applications in diverse industries, including power generation, oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals, mining and metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and other sectors.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs have impacted the zero liquid discharge systems market by increasing the cost of imported membranes, evaporators, crystallizers, and automation components, raising project implementation costs. The impact is most pronounced in thermal based and hybrid ZLD systems, particularly in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. These pressures have influenced project phasing decisions. At the same time, tariffs are promoting domestic equipment manufacturing and localized ZLD system integration.
The zero liquid discharge systems market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides zero liquid discharge systems market statistics, including zero liquid discharge systems industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a zero liquid discharge systems market share, detailed zero liquid discharge systems market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the zero liquid discharge systems industry. These zero liquid discharge systems market research reports deliver a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The zero liquid discharge systems market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $7.02 billion in 2025 to $7.63 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to industrial water pollution control, regulatory discharge limits, expansion of thermal power plants, water scarcity concerns, growth in heavy industries.
The zero liquid discharge systems market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $10.6 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to stricter environmental regulations, rising industrial water reuse needs, expansion of petrochemical projects, growth in mining operations, adoption of circular water management. Major trends in the forecast period include rising adoption of industrial water recycling, expansion of hybrid zld system deployments, growing use of membrane based technologies, integration of energy efficient evaporation systems, focus on complete wastewater elimination.
The growth in urbanization is expected to drive the expansion of the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems market going forward. Urbanization refers to the large-scale movement of populations from rural to urban areas. As urban populations increase, the demand for energy and water rises, leading to greater pressure on water resources and wastewater management systems. This growing need supports the adoption of ZLD systems, which help industries and municipalities manage wastewater more efficiently by ensuring no liquid waste is discharged into the environment. For example, according to a 2022 report by the World Bank, more than 50% of the global population lives in urban areas, and this number is projected to reach 6 billion by 2045-an increase of 1.5 times. Additionally, by 2030, global urban built-up land is expected to expand by an additional 1.2 million km2, with urban area growth occurring up to 50% faster than population growth. Therefore, increasing urbanization is driving the growth of the ZLD systems market.
Major companies in the zero liquid discharge systems market are focusing on developing advanced high-recovery treatment technologies such as electrodialysis reversal (EDR) systems to boost water reuse, enhance resource recovery, reduce fouling, and ensure reliable operation under challenging industrial conditions. For example, in October 2025, QUA, a US-based membrane technology company, launched EDR-Q, an advanced electrodialysis reversal solution designed for high-recovery desalination, water reuse, and specialized industrial applications. EDR-Q enables selective ion removal and resource recovery for industries such as food and beverage, critical minerals, and wastewater treatment. The system employs automatic polarity reversal to minimize fouling and scaling, supports up to 95% water recovery, and performs efficiently under high silica, sulfate, and turbidity conditions. With chemical-free in situ cleaning, wide pH tolerance, low maintenance requirements, and compact modular models offering flow rates from 1.5 to 9.0 m3/hr, EDR-Q provides a cost-efficient and robust ZLD solution.
In February 2023, Gradiant, a US-based water technology company, acquired Advanced Watertek for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition enables Gradiant to strengthen its presence in the rapidly growing Middle Eastern market and expand the deployment of its full suite of technologies to meet rising demand for sustainable water management solutions. Advanced Watertek is a UAE-based provider of zero liquid discharge systems.
Major companies operating in the zero liquid discharge systems market are Alfa Laval AB, Aquatech International LLC, ENCON Evaporators, GEA Group, Oasys Water Inc., Veolia Water Technologies, Suez SA, Condorchem Envitech, Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Aquarion AG, IDE Technologies Ltd., Thermax Global, GE Water & Process Technologies, 3v Green Eagle SpA, Doosan Hydro Technology, Praj Industries Limited, Andritz AG, H2O GmbH, SafBon Water Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Exchange India Ltd., Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation, Petro Sep Corporation, Fluence Corporation Limited, Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Arvind Envisol Limited, Hydro Air Research Italia S.r.l., Samco Technologies Inc., Lenntech B.V., Saltworks Technologies Inc.
North America was the largest region in the zero liquid discharge systems market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the zero liquid discharge systems market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa
The countries covered in the zero liquid discharge systems market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The zero liquid discharge systems market consists of sales of ultrafiltration systems, reverse osmosis systems, crystallization units, and fractional electro-deionization systems. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Zero Liquid Discharge Systems Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses zero liquid discharge systems market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for zero liquid discharge systems ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The zero liquid discharge systems market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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