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] Decreasing funding for the USDA's program and other conservation programs would increase farming-related pollution of drinking water and air, putting families at risk downstream. Environmental Working Group
• [New] Agricultural Water Resilience Program Eligible State: New Mexico The Agricultural Water Resilience Program offers grants up to $300,000 for projects that help New Mexico farmers and ranchers conserve water and improve agricultural water management. LOR Foundation
• [New] The EPA will fund USD 1 billion under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help out with the implementation of PFAS testing and treatments in public water systems. DataMIntelligence
• [New] The final rule on the PFAS drinking water regulation will be able to protect more than 100 million individuals from exposure to PFAS chemicals, and prevent several deaths and severe illnesses as well. DataMIntelligence
• [New] England expects to meet around 50-60 per cent of its 5 billion l/d shortfall by reducing water demand. CIWEM
• [New] Without intervention, England will face severe water shortages in the coming decades, as climate change-induced weather patterns, population growth and the expansion of industries such as water-intensive datacenters put excessive demand on supplies and endanger life. The Guardian
• [New] England's water supply is under growing strain due to a combination of climate change, population growth, public water supply leakage and water intensive industries and without action the risk of drought in England threatens the very systems on which people and nature depend. Water Magazine
• [New] Governments cannot afford to wait for global consensus to proactively invest in preparedness and resilience, or we risk being caught in the boiling water. Global Shield's Newsletter
• [New] Even when some withdrawn water is recycled by datacenters, large-scale withdrawals can strain aquifers and river systems, particularly in arid or groundwater-depleted regions, a recent UN report warned. The Guardian
• [New] Direct cooling water consumption by US data centers reached about 66 billion liters, near 17.4 billion gallons, in 2023, and is projected to climb steeply by 2028 (LBNL, 2024, as the primary source; restated in AWWA, 2025, and Environmental Law Institute, 2026). RefIndustry
• [New] Amazon has set a target of becoming water positive by 2030, meaning it would return more water to communities than it consumes. Crypto Briefing
• [New] The water usage, we are told, is 75% of the way to Amazon's goal - announced in 2022 - of being water positive by 2030. theregister
• [New] Texas communities face severe water shortages that threaten families, jobs and economic growth and should evaluate every available source of supply. Insurance Journal
• [New] The downstream application potential is enormous: India has 140 million small farmers, 20,000+ kilometers of coastline, climate vulnerabilities across agriculture, water, and disaster that space data is uniquely positioned to address. Deep in DeepTech
• [New] A recent AWWA analysis titled Beyond the Replacement Era: Balancing Compounding Infrastructure Needs with Household Availability shows that drinking water infrastructure needs will exceed $2.1 trillion over the next 25 years, requiring a 168% annual increase in capital investment. Municipal Sewer and Water
• [New] Prolonged dry periods linked to El Nino could have wider consequences for Bangladesh's water system. The Daily Star
• [New] Worldwide, three-quarters of people could face drought impacts by 2050 all while datacenters use 9.3 tn liters of water in the coming decade, enough to meet the drinking water needs of the planet's human population for over a year, the United Nations has estimated. The Guardian
• [New] The multiplying datacenters across the US are set to demand as much as 73bn gallons of water a year by 2028, up from about 17bn gallons in 2023. The Guardian
• [New] By 2030, AI's energy use could double to consume 3% of the world's electricity, produce emissions to equal the UK and deplete more water for cooling than the annual drinking water need of the global population. Live Science
• [New] By comparison, the North West, the North East and Yorkshire & the Humber will be less vulnerable to severe water stress. Kingfisher group
• [New] More than half of the world's population will be affected by water shortages by 2032, causing severe health consequences, unless urgent action is taken. PubMed Central (PMC)

Last updated: 22 June 2026