Our Scans · (LF.6) 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] Hungary has announced it will shut down its only nuclear power plant after record-low levels on the Danube River reduced the water available for cooling its reactors. Al Jazeera
• [New] Beach destinations along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts will continue to enjoy ideal conditions for swimming, sunbathing, and water sports, while inland regions remain warm and dry. RestProperty
• [New] Water demand will continue rising as the global population grows. Earth
• [New] Water risk could reduce GDP across major economies by more than USD 5 trillion by 2050. GHD
• [New] Record low water levels in Europe's major rivers have curtailed the transport of goods, reduced electricity output and shrunk company earnings, stoking fears about the economic impact of searing heat and erratic rainfall. MarineLink
• [New] In Italy, the Po River basin has entered a state of high water scarcity, threatening rice crops and drinking water supplies across the north. gCaptain
• [New] EPA has emphasized that cyberattacks on drinking water and wastewater systems have the potential to threaten public health and community resilience. Washington State Department of Health
• [New] Water Gap, described as the first unified strategy to achieve universal access to safe, running water and working sanitation in every American home by 2040. Informed Infrastructure
• [New] The declaration of a drought does not mean there is currently a threat to water supplies for homes and businesses, with Welsh water companies saying reservoir levels are holding up after a wet start to the year. BBC News
• [New] Water heading downstream from hard-hit areas of Texas is expected to continue arriving in area reservoirs, potentially easing water-use restrictions for city residents and giving Corpus Christi added time and breathing room to strengthen its water system. Insurance Journal
• [New] The Environment Agency announcement covers much of central, eastern and southern England, and is a public sign that further restrictions on water use might follow. BBC News
• [New] Severe April-May heatwaves increased crop water demand and heat stress risks, particularly in northern and central India. Economic Development & Finance Authority
• [New] By 2055 England will need to find an additional 5 billion liters of water a day to meet demand for public water supply. BBC Weather
• [New] The US Food and Drug Administration plans to establish allowable levels for certain per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances in bottled water, according to a June update of its PFAS web page. American Chemical Society
• [New] U.S. drinking water utilities will require between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion in infrastructure investment through 2050, leaving an annual funding gap of approximately $56.6 billion. EFCG
• [New] By the 2050s, who sits on the Climate Change Committee, Britain is expected to have a shortfall of five billion liters of water per day. Yahoo News
• [New] Failure on sanitation has global consequences: lack of sanitation is a major global driver of antimicrobial resistance, which threatens to make even simple infections deadly for all. SDG Action
• [New] China has developed a solar-powered desalination process that will bring potable water to arid regions of the world. Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox
• Domestically, the Water Security Strategy 2036 targets a 21% cut in water demand, a 95% wastewater reuse rate and a reduction of more than 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, alongside campaigns to promote responsible water use. The National
• As leakage and demand targets are already very ambitious, the only solution to deliver new supply is to increase the amount of water taken from the environment - which may be harmful - or to build new supplies, and major reservoirs can take 15 years to plan and build, Water UK wrote. The Guardian
• The UK will not have enough water for future datacenters. The Guardian
• More than one million properties could face delays unless new water resources are developed. / UK Water Magazine

Last updated: 03 August 2026