The drinking-water treatment market is facing financing challenges.
"Restoring aging water infrastructures is a challenge due to cost. Only about one-third of water systems earn enough revenue to cover replacement costs," says Blair Lavoie, president of MWH Constructors. "The U.S. has a big water infrastructure gap—the level of treatment should be improved," comments Marie-Ange Debon, group deputy chief executive officer in charge of the international division of Suez. "In the U.S., it's a fragmented market with many small plants, which makes it difficult to share utilities and equipment. There is still a lot of investment needed in the U.S. to improve water quality."