Water Treatment Technology Patent Landscape 2026
Water Treatment Technology Patent Landscape in 2026
Water treatment technology is a mature, moderately concentrated field dominated by Japanese and multinational industrial players, with Kurita Water Industries holding the top position among the hundred largest filers. Annual filing volume peaked in 2018 and has eased since, though the multi-year corpus reflects sustained, large-scale investment across filtration, chemical treatment, and separation processes.
Kurita leads a fragmented top tier with no single player commanding the field
Kurita Water Industries Ltd ranks first among the hundred largest filers, followed by Evoqua Water Technologies, Toray Industries, Toshiba, and Organo Corporation. The top five filers collectively account for twenty percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent records, indicating a fragmented competitive structure rather than a monopoly.
The gap between first and fifth place is narrow in proportional terms, and multiple well-resourced challengers — including Veolia, Hitachi, Kubota, and Nalco — cluster closely behind. No single applicant has achieved decisive separation from the pack.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurita Water Industries Ltd | 2,243 | |
| 2 | Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | 1,735 | |
| 3 | Toray Industries Inc | 1,638 | |
| 4 | Toshiba Corporation | 1,465 | |
| 5 | Organo Corporation | 1,448 | |
| 6 | VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS & TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORT SAS | 1,326 | |
| 7 | Hitachi Ltd | 1,030 | |
| 8 | Kubota Corporation | 1,014 | |
| 9 | Nalco Company | 1,010 | |
| 10 | Ecolab USA Inc | 888 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd | 837 | |
| 12 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 681 | |
| 13 | Access Business Group International LLC | 614 | |
| 14 | Harbin Institute of Technology | 594 | |
| 15 | Miura Co Ltd | 569 | |
| 16 | Coway Co Ltd | 544 | |
| 17 | Hitachi Plant Technologies Ltd | 527 | |
| 18 | CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORP | 512 | |
| 19 | Ebara Research Co Ltd | 499 | |
| 20 | Omya International AG | 498 |
The presence of both pure-play water specialists (Kurita, Evoqua, Organo) and diversified industrials (Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) among the leaders suggests that water treatment patents serve both core business and adjacent corporate R&D purposes, which complicates freedom-to-operate assessments.
Patent records from 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and will increase as pending applications publish; apparent recent softness in filing counts should not be read as a strategic withdrawal. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing volume peaked in 2018 and has eased; C02F water treatment dominates the technology mix
The annual filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that reached peak intensity around 2018 and has since consolidated, while remaining heavily anchored in core water and wastewater treatment chemistry.
Annual filing trend
Filings rose from 2017 to a peak in 2018 and have declined in each subsequent recorded year through 2023. Figures for 2024 and 2025 are substantially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as continued decline. The lifecycle evidence characterizes the field as in decline from its 2018 peak.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) is the commanding primary class, followed at a distance by B01D (separation and filtration processes). All remaining IPC branches — including B01J (catalysis), B01F (mixing), and G01N (analysis and testing) — account for individually small shares, indicating that the core chemistry and membrane-separation routes are where incumbents concentrate effort.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Water treatment method and water treatment apparatus
Provided is a water treatment method, in which a cycle including: a filtration step of filtering water to be treated through a separation membrane from a primary side to a secondary side of the separation membrane; and a backwashing step of washing the separation membrane from the secondary side to the primary side is repeated, the water treatment method… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New and improved system for processing various che… | 852 |
| 2 | Hot water disinfection of dialysis machines, inclu… | 687 |
| 3 | Water treatment system with an inductively coupled… | 629 |
| 4 | Modular home dialysis system | 365 |
| 5 | Water treatment process for membranes | 324 |
| 6 | Personal water filter bottle system | 294 |
| 7 | Apparatus for treating activated sludge and method… | 285 |
| 8 | Electrostatic device for water treatment | 280 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations — maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography — shape the strategic context for any new entrant or incumbent seeking to extend their position.
Post-peak field: core routes are well-occupied
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as in decline, with annual filings having eased back from the 2018 peak. Core C02F and B01D routes carry the heaviest incumbent density, meaning incremental improvements in established chemistries face dense prior-art landscapes. R&D investment is more defensible in adjacent or application-specific branches where incumbent coverage is thinner.
Lifecycle: DeclineFragmented top tier; no single dominant assignee
The top five filers hold twenty percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined records, and the rank ordering from first to tenth is relatively compressed. This fragmentation means that patent thickets are distributed across multiple owners, increasing the complexity of clearance work and creating opportunities for cross-licensing rather than single-party blocking. A new entrant must contend with multiple incumbent portfolios simultaneously.
Concentration: ModerateNo co-applicant patterns identified in current evidence
Evidence pending: the collaboration data returned no co-applicant filing records for this corpus. This may reflect the predominantly commercial, single-assignee filing strategies typical of mature industrial sectors, or it may indicate that collaborative research in this space is captured under separate entities. Monitoring joint-development agreements and consortium filings outside patent records is advisable.
Collaboration: Evidence pendingUS leads filings; PCT and EPO ensure broad international coverage
The United States is the leading jurisdiction by patent record count, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom round out the next tier, reflecting a standard multinational filing strategy by the dominant players. Singapore also appears, consistent with its role as an Asia-Pacific water technology hub. Entrants targeting any single national market will encounter filings originally prosecuted through PCT or EPO routes.
Geography: US-led, global spreadGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Kurita and Evoqua lead by volume; Organo and Kurita show positive recent momentum
The top two applicants by patent record count are Kurita Water Industries and Evoqua Water Technologies, both specialists with broad coverage across water and wastewater treatment chemistry and membrane separation. Momentum signals diverge sharply across the top tier.
Kurita Water Industries Ltd
Kurita ranks first with 2,243 patent records, concentrated in C02F 1 (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D 61 (membrane filtration), with a secondary position in B01D 65 (membrane maintenance). Its recent filing trend is up seventeen percent versus the prior three-year period, making it one of the few top-tier players showing positive momentum in a declining overall market — a signal of continued strategic commitment to core treatment chemistry.
patent records: 2,243Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
Evoqua ranks second with 1,735 patent records, also anchored in C02F 1 and B01D 61, with additional coverage in C02F 103 (application-specific water treatment). Its recent trend is down fifty-one percent versus the prior period — a substantial contraction that may reflect portfolio consolidation or post-merger integration activity rather than reduced technical investment. Engineers should monitor whether this reflects strategic narrowing or a genuine pullback.
patent records: 1,735| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | 67 | ▼ -51% |
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd | 35 | ▲ +17% |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 20 | ▼ -39% |
| Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support SAS | 6 | ▼ -70% |
| Organo Corporation | 51 | ▲ +31% |
| Access Business Group International LLC | 6 | ▼ -68% |
Under-served adjacent branches in catalysis, mixing, and analytical testing
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant C02F and B01D core carry low shares of the total patent record count, suggesting relatively sparse incumbent coverage. These are observations of relative sparsity; technical and commercial feasibility must be independently assessed before treating them as investment targets.
G01N · Material analysis and testing in water treatment
G01N accounts for a small share of records in this corpus despite the obvious relevance of real-time water quality sensing and analytical testing to modern treatment systems. Sparse coverage relative to C02F may reflect that analytical instrumentation is patented under different applicant strategies or in separate corpora. For an entrant with sensor or IoT capabilities, this branch offers a potential differentiation path — particularly where treatment-process feedback loops require in-line measurement. The primary barrier is demonstrating water-treatment-specific novelty beyond general analytical instrument claims.
Search this in Eureka →B01J · Chemical and physical processes and catalysis
B01J (catalysis and chemical reactor design) holds a low share relative to the dominant treatment chemistry branches, despite the known applicability of advanced oxidation processes, photocatalysis, and heterogeneous catalysts to water purification. This relative sparsity, combined with growing regulatory pressure on micropollutant removal, suggests a technically plausible entry path for applicants with catalysis or advanced-oxidation expertise. The main technical challenge is demonstrating stable catalyst performance under variable real-world water matrices.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across C02F, B01D, and adjacent branches
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 3 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 9 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 61 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | C02F 103 · Water & wastewater treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | Strong · 299 | Emerging · 32 | Emerging · 36 | Moderate · 125 | Emerging · 41 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd | Strong · 167 | Emerging · 28 | Moderate · 73 | Strong · 110 | Emerging · 25 |
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd | Strong · 216 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 72 | Emerging · 13 |
| Organo Corporation | Strong · 140 | Moderate · 30 | Absent | Strong · 72 | Absent |
| Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support SAS | Strong · 121 | Strong · 62 | Moderate · 25 | Absent | Absent |
| Access Business Group International LLC | Strong · 136 | Absent | Moderate · 63 | Absent | Absent |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Strong · 157 | Moderate · 41 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 5,675 patent families in scope globally.
Kurita Water Industries Ltd ranks first among the hundred largest filers, with 2,243 patent records, ahead of Evoqua Water Technologies (1,735 records) and Toray Industries (1,638 records).
The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as in decline from its 2018 peak. Annual filing volume rose from 2017 to a peak in 2018 and has eased in subsequent years. Data for 2024 and 2025 are incomplete due to publication lag, so the full extent of recent activity is not yet visible.
The United States is the leading jurisdiction by patent record count, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Australia and Canada are the next most active national jurisdictions.
C02F (water and wastewater treatment chemistry) is the dominant IPC class by a large margin, followed by B01D (separation and filtration processes). All other branches — including B01J, B01F, and G01N — account for individually small shares of the corpus.
G01N (material analysis and testing) and B01J (catalysis and chemical processes) carry low shares relative to the dominant C02F and B01D classes. These branches are observations of relative sparsity rather than confirmed opportunities; technical feasibility and commercial viability require independent assessment.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.