The upstream raw material supply chain for water treatment agents is becoming increasingly complete, with soda ash, chloride, and sulfate forming a solid foundation for the industry's raw material base.

The domestic water environment governance industry continues to accelerate, driving a steady expansion of production capacity across all categories of water treatment agents. Soda ash, chlorides, and sulfates are core raw materials for the preparation of flocculants, regulators, and descaling agents. With the implementation of a one-stop centralized procurement platform for 42 series of chemical raw materials, a stable and complementary supply chain for these three basic chemicals has been established, supporting the water treatment agent industry's quality improvement and capacity expansion from the raw material end.

From the perspective of the raw material composition of agent formulations, flocculants such as aluminum sulfate and polyferric sulfate are derived from sulfates; aluminum chloride and polyaluminum chloride are synthesized from chloride raw materials; and soda ash is widely used for pH neutralization and adjustment in water bodies, as well as acid-base control in agent synthesis. Different categories of basic chemicals, combined according to formulation ratios, constitute the raw materials for the vast majority of water treatment agent production. The centralized procurement platform coordinates sources from multiple production areas, eliminating the need for manufacturers to separately contact multiple raw material suppliers. Centralized procurement significantly reduces raw material procurement prices and transportation costs, particularly benefiting small and medium-sized environmental agent processing plants and helping small and medium-sized entities in the industry to develop steadily.

Market demand is driven by various water treatment projects, including the upgrading of urban sewage treatment plants, zero-discharge projects for industrial park wastewater, and comprehensive treatment projects for black and odorous water bodies. High standards for water treatment are forcing the widespread adoption of efficient, compound water treatment agents. These agents require the combination of soda ash with various chlorides and compound sulfates, which in turn drives differentiated demand for three types of basic chemical raw materials. Emerging niche markets such as aquaculture wastewater treatment and landscape water maintenance are also rising, leading to increased orders for customized small-scale water treatment agents and boosting demand for small-batch, multi-specification chemical raw materials.

Upstream chemical raw material green technology upgrades are simultaneously optimizing agent quality. Mass production of low-impurity refined sulfates and high-purity chlorides is underway, facilitating the iteration of residue-free, environmentally friendly water treatment agents. The soda ash industry is expanding its market for food-grade refined products into high-end water purification regulators. Continuously upgraded environmental policies are further expanding the industry's scope, with new water treatment regulations in various regions tightening discharge standards and accelerating the phasing out of outdated and inefficient agents. In the future, the water treatment agent industry will continue to leverage the advantages of centralized procurement and collaboration to deepen raw material matching, work with upstream chemical industries to develop new compound agent formulations, keep pace with the normalization of water environment governance, and continuously explore market growth potential.