The point-of-use/point-of-entry treatment market has been beckoning the water well drilling professionals for some time, and contractors definitely are hearing the siren's song. As traditional markets tighten - and along with them, profit margins - drilling contractors increasingly are eyeing this easy-enough-to-enter market with a higher level of interest and commitment. And for good reason. Results from National Driller's recently completed water treatment study offer some insight, allowing drilling contractors and other water professionals to make more-informed decisions.
Thanks to all of our readers who participated in the study (subscribers who install water treatment equipment/systems), and congratulations to Gerald Austin (A&R Pump, Buchanan, Va.), the randomly selected winner of a $100 American Express gift certificate.
Some of the survey's findings:
Percentage of contracting firm's revenue that is generated by water treatment system installationsOn average, 26 percent of the revenue is generated by water treatment installations.
Over the next two years, contractors expect water treatment revenues to:
Increase - 73%
Stay the same - 27%
Decrease - 0%
Water softeners - 90%
Cartridge filters - 80%
Sediment filters - 80%
Carbon filters - 74%
Reverse osmosis - 58%
UV disinfectors - 49%
Chlorine filters - 48%
Other - 25%
Where water treatment equipment/systems are purchased (multiple answers allowed)
Water treatment distributor/dealer - 66%
Plumbing distributor - 41%
Direct from manufacturer - 33%
Big box/hardware store - 8%
Customer purchases equipment/systems - 4%
Other - 2%
Experience (in years) installing equipment/systems
Less than 1 year - 2%
1 year - 2%
2-3 years - 9%
4-5 years - 6%
More than 5 years - 81%
Water treatment/purification markets served
Private - 47%
Public - 3%
Both - 50%
Breakdown of the private projects
Residential - 44%
Commercial/Industrial - 6%
Both - 50%
Ninety-five percent of water treatment contractors have influence in the selection of the brand of water treatment/purification equipment that is installed. ND