November 2020 Vol. 75 No. 11
Newsline
Study Predicts $52 Billion in Water Utility Trenchless Investments Through 2030
The economic recession combined with aging water infrastructure across the country may spur more than $50 billion in trenchless technology investments by water utilities over the next decade, a new study by Bluefield Research expects.
According to the study, the forecasted 3.4 percent growth rate for trenchless technology deployments will outpace broader municipal water infrastructure investment in a post COVID-19, recessionary environment.
The report, “Trenchless Players Move to Redefine Pipe Market: Forecasts, Competitive Positioning, and Water Market Trends, 2020-2030,” shows total spend across the range of trenchless technology options exceeding US $52.5 billion over the next decade.
The lion’s share (76 percent) of this spend will focus on the rehabilitation of underground assets, with the balance spent on new construction. Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) technology accounts for 36 percent of projected spending, followed by horizontal directional drilling (HDD).
The report’s findings align with those of Underground Construction magazine’s annual directional drilling survey, which revealed areas of ongoing demand that demonstrate the value of HDD to the industry.
The primary opportunity will be refurbishing the broader 1.8-million-mile wastewater pipe sector, although increasing focus on water pipe leakage is also driving innovation and longer-term opportunities.
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