Ultra-pure Water Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Ultra-pure Water Market Trends and Insights

Intensifying Wafer-Cleaning Volumes in Advanced-Node Semiconductor Fabs

Gate-all-around transistors at the 2 nm node require rinse cycles that cut metal ions to below 0.01 ppb, forcing fabs to add ultraviolet oxidation and mixed-bed polishing beyond conventional RO. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s Arizona campus, online since 2024, uses EDI to remove the need for caustic regeneration and lowers hazardous waste by 40%. Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology showed in 2025 that extreme-ultraviolet lithography demands PFAS-free rinse chemistry, quickening uptake of ozone-based oxidation. Each 300 mm wafer now passes through 12 rinse steps, translating to 2.5 million gpd for a fab at 40,000 wafer starts per month^{[1]National Institute of Standards and Technology, “CHIPS Program Environmental Assessment,” nist.gov} .

Rapid Expansion of 300 mm and 12-Inch SiC Device Lines

Silicon-carbide power devices need pre-clean water with resistivity above 18 MΩ-cm and dissolved oxygen below 5 ppb to avert micro-roughness. SK Siltron’s Gumi plant switched to an on-site UPW system in Dec 2024, cutting logistics cost by 25%. Infineon’s Villach fab consumes 1.8 million gpd today and plans to recycle 60% of rinse water by 2027. Degasification membrane contactors that strip CO₂ without particles are fast becoming standard to protect EPI reactors.

Pharmaceutical Shift Toward Continuous Bioprocessing

ICH Q13, finalized in Mar 2023, mandates real-time quality verification of water-for-injection, guiding firms to membrane-based systems sanitized by hot water rather than distillation. The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering endorsed 0.2 µm filtration at ≥ 70 °C in May 2022, widening acceptance of skid-mounted UPW generators. Eli Lilly’s Lebanon facility uses inline TOC sensors that trip diversion valves on any quality drift, reinforcing demand for advanced control loops.

Booming Green-Hydrogen Electrolyzer Build-Out (Giga-Scale)

The International Energy Agency logs 1,100 announced projects totaling 570 GW electrolyzer capacity by 2030, equivalent to more than 2 billion gpd of UPW demand if built. Saudi Arabia’s NEOM complex integrates three-pass RO, EDI, and ultraviolet oxidation to hit TOC below 10 ppb on a 2.2 GW array scheduled for 2026. The U.S. Hydrogen Shot targets cost parity at USD 1/kg by 2031, compelling operators to slash downtime through tighter pretreatment specs.

High CAPEX of Multi-Stage Polishing Systems (Less Than 0.1 ppb TOC)

Meeting sub-0.1 ppb TOC dictates dual-wavelength UV, mixed-bed resin, and 0.05 µm filtration, costing up to USD 50 million for a single 300 mm fab line and raising payback periods beyond five years for smaller players^{[2]United States Environmental Protection Agency, “RCRA Hazardous Waste Regulations,” epa.gov}. UV lamps need replacement every 8,000 – 12,000 h while resin regeneration consumes acids and caustics that trigger hazardous-waste permits, adding operational drag.

Supply–Demand Imbalance of Semiconductor-Grade Ion-Exchange Resins

Nuclear-grade resins with leachables under 0.01 ppb come from fewer than ten sites worldwide. Lead times hit 18 months in 2024. Mitsubishi Chemical’s 30% Mizushima expansion announced Apr 2026 (5,000 t/y) will ease pressure only after late 2027. DuPont cited 14-month order backlogs in 2025 even after 12% YoY output growth.

Segment Analysis

By Treatment Technology: Electrodeionization Gains on Regeneration-Free Operation

Reverse osmosis captured 36.28% of the ultra-pure water market share in 2025, while electrodeionization is forecast at a 9.92% CAGR through 2031, reflecting end-user moves to avoid chemical regeneration downtime. RO membranes now reject more than 99.5% dissolved salts at 15-25 bar, cutting single-pass salinity to sub-10 ppm and setting the stage for downstream polishing. EDI uses ion-exchange membranes plus direct current to continuously strip ions, delivering resistivity above 17 MΩ-cm without acids or caustics, trimming hazardous waste by up to 6 m³ per m³ of resin and reducing energy bills by 30% in continuous lines.

Ultraviolet oxidation at 185 nm photolyzes organics down to 1 ppb TOC for semiconductor rinse water. Ion-exchange resin beds still dominate the final pass for sub-0.1 ppb TOC, despite resin scarcity. Degasification membrane contactors remove dissolved O₂ and CO₂, protecting SiC epi reactors that crack above 1,100 °C and require silica under 0.02 ppm. Inline analyzers mandated by SEMI F63 now track resistivity, TOC, particles, and metals in real time, integrating with fab SCADA loops.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Application: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Rides Biopharmaceutical Expansion

Cleaning held 38.12% of the ultra-pure water market size in 2025 as each 300 mm wafer uses about 15 L per etch rinse and fabs averaged 4.25 billion gal annual UPW draw in the United States. SEMI F63 drives TOC below 1 ppb and particles under 0.05 mL⁻¹, sustaining demand for multi-loop polish and redundant filtration in wafer cleans.

High-performance liquid chromatography is rising at a 9.89% CAGR because UHPLC systems need Type 1 water at 18.2 MΩ-cm and TOC less than 5 ppb to prevent ghost peaks. Continuous-manufacturing adoption after ICH Q13 pushes labs to replace aging deionizers with EDI skids that hold water quality steady without regeneration spikes. Ingredient-grade water for injectables and beverages follows the U.S. Pharmacopeia TOC less than 500 ppb and endotoxin less than 0.25 EU/mL, widening point-of-use polish cartridge purchases.

By End-user Industry: Pharmaceuticals Accelerate on Continuous Bioprocessing

Semiconductor and electronics retained 52.05% of revenue in 2025 as 300 mm fabs draw 2-3 million gpd and refresh loops to satisfy sub-32 nm particle limits EPA.GOV. TSMC’s Kumamoto and Samsung’s Pyeongtaek expansions both installed dual-pass RO plus EDI trains that achieved less than 1 ppb TOC for 12 nm and 3 nm flows TSMC.COM.

Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology are growing at 9.83% CAGR to 2031, fueled by skid-mounted WFI systems that deliver endotoxin below 0.25 EU/mL and operate continuously under ICH Q13 guidance. CSL, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly now specify inline TOC analyzers across both upstream and downstream suites, driving demand for modular UPW rooms with 24/7 data logging.

Power generation, food and beverage, and petrochemicals round out end-user demand. ASME boiler codes limit silica to less than 0.02 ppm, steering conventional plants toward condensate polishing. Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery integrates RO and ion-exchange polish to feed hydrogen reformers at 15 million gpd.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific contributed 47.35% of 2025 revenue, energized by TSMC’s Kumamoto fab online in Feb 2024, Samsung’s Pyeongtaek 3 nm ramp, and SMIC’s self-reliance drive that collectively consume more than 1.2 billion gpd of UPW. Japan’s METI pledged JPY 476 billion (USD 3.2 billion) to back TSMC-2, adding 1.5 million gpd UPW by 2028. Regionalization is spreading as SK Siltron localizes resin and UPW logistics in South Korea.

In North America, Arizona’s groundwater caps compelled TSMC and Intel to invest in closed-loop reclaim plants that recover more than 75% rinse water. The Hydrogen Shot has seeded electrolyzer hubs in Texas and California that will need 150 million gpd UPW by 2030.

Europe is led by Infineon’s Villach SiC line (1.8 million gpd) and EU Hydrogen Bank subsidies that pair RO-EDI trains with Spanish coastal electrolyzers. GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca are retrofitting continuous-bioprocess WFI systems under MHRA’s 2024 ICH Q13 adoption.

South America, plus Middle-East and Africa supplied the lower share. The NEOM hydrogen complex will anchor 2.2 GW PEM electrolyzers and lift regional growth through 2031. UAE petrochemical corridors co-locate desalination brine polishers to satisfy catalyst‐grade purity.