Global Scans · Clean Water and Sanitation · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 6. Ensure availability of water and sanitation for all.

• [New] Achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030 would require tripling current investment levels to approximately $114 billion annually. Gray Group International
• [New] The National Water Plan sets ambitious targets, such as reducing losses in drinking water networks to 25% by 2030 and promoting industrial water recovery. Smart Water Magazine
• [New] Turkey has announced a new long-term strategy to address the growing water scarcity, introducing a National Water Plan covering 2026 to 2035. Smart Water Magazine
• [New] Water scarcity could reduce GDP growth by up to 6% in the most affected regions by 2030, with the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia bearing the heaviest burden. Gray Group International
• [New] Large-scale water shortages are projected by 2050, potentially affecting 5 billion people due to climate change, population growth, and pollution. Ipsum
• [New] In the UK, without action, England could face a daily shortfall of 5 billion liters of water by 2050. Ipsum
• [New] The EPA finalized the first-ever national drinking water standard for six PFAS compounds in 2024, with utilities required to comply by 2029. RKIN
• [New] Daily water consumption per person is targeted to drop to 120 liters by 2030 and 100 liters by 2050. Nordic Monitor
• [New] By 2026, vertical farming is projected to use up to 95% less water than traditional agriculture methods. Farmonaut
• [New] The ongoing growth of global manufacturing and resource-processing industries is expected to drive sustained demand for industrial water and wastewater pumps. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Increasing environmental regulations related to wastewater discharge and the growing adoption of water reuse strategies are expected to further strengthen demand for wastewater pumping solutions over the coming years. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (universal water and sanitation access) requires $114 billion per year through 2030 far above current investment levels indicates chronically underfunded relative to its importance. The Water Diplomat
• [New] The World Economic Forum highlights that global freshwater demand is expected to surpass supply by 40% by 2030, potentially leaving 1.6 billion people without access to safe drinking water. Yahoo Finance Singapore
• [New] The policy shift comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly developing regulations that could make it easier for companies to treat and reuse produced water. JD Supra
• [New] Over 1 billion women do not have access to safely managed water services, and 380 million live in areas of high or critical water stress, a number that could rise significantly by 2050. Smart Water Magazine
• [New] Water technology company Xylem and research firm Global Water Intelligence said in a January report AI water use could rise 130% by 2050, or about 30 trillion liters. Yahoo Tech
• [New] Advanced wastewater treatment technologies are available and that the stricter standards would yield benefits (reduced cancer and cardiovascular disease risks, lower drinking water treatment costs) that outweigh costs. / USA JD Supra
• [New] Climate change could mean less water for Los Angeles, which currently gets most of its supply from Northern California and the Colorado River. PRX - Public Radio Exchange
• [New] By 2026, advances in circular water reuse, desalination, and hybridized electrolysis will allow hydrogen mining projects to minimize their water and land footprint-increasing system resilience and sustainability. Farmonaut
• [New] Hydrogen mining will especially benefit regions with abundant renewable resources, water availability, and significant distances from grid infrastructure-contexts commonly seen in emerging African mining hubs, South American agricultural frontiers, and Australian resource corridors. Farmonaut
• [New] By 2026, lithium mines could impact water resources for over 2 million acres of US farmland. Farmonaut
• [New] Cooling systems for the dense compute loads that characterize AI workloads consume millions of gallons per year at a single site, and total data center water consumption is projected to rise by approximately 170% by 2030. Verdict
• [New] Seasonal water supply forecasted volumes from the California-Nevada River Forecast Center dropped significantly after the late February snowmelt event in the Sierra Nevada, and most locations are forecasted to receive less than 70% of median April-July runoff. Drought.gov

Last updated: 29 March 2026