Water Hardness Test Strip Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2022-2028)

The water hardness test strip market is expected to register a CAGR of approx. 4.5% over the period of 2022-2028. Originally, water hardness was understood to be a measure of the capacity of water to precipitate soap. The hardness of water is the major problem for daily consumption as well as for industrial purposes. The hardness of water is based on its alkaline earth contents. There are several methods used for determination of hardness of water such as calcium and magnesium determination. The most commonly used method for water hardness testing is by water hardness test strip which are useful for the qualitative as well as semi-qualitative estimation of hardness of water to be used in industrial application and daily requirement. This type of method is simple, economical and can be used in any region where sophisticated instruments or technique are not available which fuel the growth of global water hardness test strip market. The growing demand for water hardness test strip can be attributed to increased government and regulatory participation in water quality monitoring and rise in number of industrial establishments are crucial factor driving the market expansion as are high health risks connected with hard water. For instance, the International Bottle Water Association (IBWA) has provided the code of practice to guide bottled water industry stakeholders with technical and federal regulations. All bottlers are required to comply with state or local agency regulatory requirements in areas where their bottles are sold and distributed. FDA regulations mandate that every bottled water be processed to undergo physical, chemical and hardness tests. Furthermore, a rise in manufacturer's research and development and technological advancements, a surge in different end use applications are likely to boost market demand for water hardness strip testing.

Based on the type, the market is fragmented into calcium concentration measurement and magnesium concentration measurement. The calcium concentration measurement segment grabbed a considerable market share, and it is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The quantitative and semi- quantitative determination of calcium by means of rapid methods is of interest to different fields, including medical diagnostics, environmental control, and other related industries. In majority of the industrial sectors, rise in calcium content in the water have been a major concern when it comes to its usage. Hence the manufacturers have been coming up with water hardness test strip products specially designed to determine calcium concentration in water.

Based on the application, the market is fragmented into industrial, laboratory, and others. The industrial segment grabbed a considerable market share, and it is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Industrial water use includes water used for purposes such as fabricating, processing, washing, and other things within the manufacturing facility. The use of water hardness test strips in industries is preferred as it is the quickest and most effective method to determine the quality of water being used.

Based on the sales channel, the market is fragmented into retail and non-retail. The retail segment grabbed a considerable market share, and it is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The household sector and swimming pool sector are the customers for the water hardness test strip market, who gain access to the product through main retail channels such as online stores and specialty stores. Therefore, raising sales through the retail channel opens up the opportunity for the market key players.

For a better understanding of the market adoption of the water hardness test strip, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (United States, Canada, and Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, and Rest of APAC), and Rest of World. Asia Pacific constitutes a major market for the water hardness test strip industry owing to direction of improvising the environmental criteria of sustainability in the region and extensive efforts from all the stakeholders in the supply chain, especially governmental, non-governmental, or private organizations. Besides due to globalization of business and industrial shifts and technological innovations in water treatment segment the robust demand is observed in region propels the growth of water hardness test strips in the region. India, Australia & New Zealand, and Southeast Asia are some of the countries exhibiting the highest growth rate in the region order for the sales performance of water hardness test strips.

Some of the major players operating in market are Aqua Cure Ltd, Isolab Laborgerate GmbH, Johnson Test Paper Ltd, LaMotte Company, Serim Research Corporation, Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc, Colorkim Kimya San. Ltd, US Water Systems, Inc, Bartovation LLC, Industrial Test Systems, Inc among others. Several M&A's along with partnerships have been undertaken by these players.