How to invest in water using ETFs

How do I invest in water stocks?

Water is essential for everyone. In 2010, the “Human Right to Water and Sanitation” was officially recognised as a human right by the United Nations. The increasing demand for clean water by the growing population and economies worldwide, while at the same time water sources are polluted and endangered, is the reason why the issue of water supply will become even more important to humanity in the future. The unequal distribution of water also poses a major challenge to our world. Therefore, it is not surprising that investors have identified water as a megatrend. An investment in water can be done at low cost by using ETFs.

Numerous companies are dedicated to the task of supplying the world population with drinking water. Water ETFs offer access to these companies, which are active in various areas of the water sector. Water ETFs include companies that generate their revenues by providing the relevant infrastructure (sewerage construction, the supply of pumps and meters, engineering offices) or produce products and equipment for water treatment (e.g. manufacturers of equipment and technologies for water disinfection, purification and desalination). They track companies active in the fields of water supply and management of supply networks, as well.

Currently, there are 5 indices or 6 ETFs available for an investment in water.
 

When choosing a water ETF one should consider several other factors in addition to the methodology of the underlying index and performance of an ETF. For better comparison, you will find a list of all water ETFs with details on size, cost, age, income, domicile and replication method ranked by fund size.

Compare all water ETFs in detail
Compare all water ETFs in a chart

Source: justETF.com; As of 13.03.25

Return comparison of all water ETFs

The table shows the returns of all water ETFs in comparison. All return figures are including dividends as of month end. Besides the return the reference date on which you conduct the comparison is important. In order to find the best ETFs, you can also perform a chart comparison.

• Cumulative
• Calendar year

Source: justETF.com; As of 28.02.25; Calculations in EUR including dividends