KSB VP Thomas Belledin Discusses Wastewater Trends for 2017

Pumps & Systems staff spoke with KSB Inc. Vice President of Global Business Development Thomas Belledin about the major trends to anticipate in 2017 for water and wastewater, as well as how the landscape of the pump industry will change.

What kind of year will this be for water/wastewater—both in existing and emerging markets?

The global water and wastewater market is on the rise. A number of important megatrends point in this direction: Several global regions including Africa, Asia and South America are witnessing continued strong population growth; living standards are improving and industrialization continues apace. At the same time, existing water resources are becoming scarcer—also in the Middle East. In the upcoming decades, the tasks of sourcing, processing and supplying water to residential and industrial areas will become increasingly crucial. Equally vital will be the treatment of wastewater. Many emerging and developing economies still need to build the requisite infrastructure, and this is where we see the most significant potential for growth. In the U.S., it is clear the aging infrastructure as well as the impacts of a changing wastewater is resulting in the need for upgrades and improvements to the existing systems and hence a need for investment. This represents excellent sales opportunities for our products.

What general trends/challenges do you foresee for the future?

The ongoing focus will always be to find innovative ways to access technology and make it something of benefit to our customers. For example, self-optimizing smart pump motor systems that will be able to compensate for planning errors or changes in the plant by means of virtual impeller trimming. Such systems will also be capable of operating with different input voltages and mains frequencies. This will result in considerable savings in terms of selection and logistics. To read more Q&As from industry leaders, click here.