Risk of Disruptions in the Supply of Water Treatment Chemicals
Drinking water and wastewater systems rely on a consistent, predictable supply of water treatment chemicals to fulfill their important public health mission. When supply chains for these critical water treatment chemicals are disrupted, water systems may face challenges in maintaining operations. While it is impossible to predict when supply disruptions will occur, a basic understanding of water treatment chemical supply chains can help systems identify potential risks and take steps to mitigate those risks.
Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions (pdf) Provides case studies of chemical supply chain disruptions that occurred between 2020 and early 2023, summarizes conditions that lead to disruptions, and presents an assessment of the risk of future supply disruptions for forty-six chemicals that are either directly used in water treatment or are inputs to the production of those direct-use water treatment chemicals. This document also describes the methodology used to develop detailed profiles for specific water treatment chemical supply chains.