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] 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] Sprint 2 will have a fall 2026 deadline and in-water testing in early 2027, with the focus on expanded payloads, upgraded autonomy, and multi-vendor integrations. Military Times
• [New] Pond aquaculture can contribute to water management as it acts to catch and store surface water (rain and run-off) that might otherwise be lost from local agroecosystems or which might cause damaging floods (e.g. in the Czech Republic). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] An emergency agriculture bill passed by the French parliament on Tuesday, which facilitates the construction of water storage tanks for crop irrigation and livestock farms, has raised concerns over the equitable sharing of water resources and fears that farmers are being prioritised. The Guardian
• [New] New Mexico will lose 25% to 30% of its available water by 2050. Coyote Gulch
• [New] The European Commission and Member States will now assess whether the revised thresholds warrant additional measures, such as enhanced monitoring of TFA in food and water, restrictions on substances that generate TFA or changes to existing risk assessment procedures. FoodNavigator.com
• [New] In recent years, pesticide labels have undergone significant changes as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented new requirements aimed at protecting endangered species, reducing off-target movement, improving water quality and minimizing risks to applicators and the environment. Citrus Industry Magazine
• [New] DOE-EM is open to discussions regarding the potential for interested parties to lease land or develop facilities on the SRS site for heavy water processing or repurposing activities. / USA Federal Register
• [New] National grid emissions would run roughly 14% higher than under a renewables-led path, and water demand for cooling data centers is projected to triple by 2030. Tech Insider
• [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 Middle East and Africa region is projected to showcase steady growth during the forecast period due to harsh climatic conditions, water scarcity, and the need to improve food self-sufficiency. Market Data Forecast
• [New] By 2050, combined jet fuel supply from biofuels, power-to-liquid fuels, and hydrogen can achieve 89% CO2 reductions compared to 2019 levels; however, non-CO2 impacts are 10% higher due to limited reductions in contrail avoidance and water vapour emissions. Nature
• [New] Donations towards the water borehole project in Nigeria can be made through Hope Spring Water's official channels. BusinessMole
• [New] NZ's clean-water provenance is only worth a premium if it can be proven digitally, end to end, in the systems buyers now expect. Path Forward - Primary Sector Strategy That Secures Fun
• [New] Saudi Arabia plans to privatise four core activities - water production, treatment, transportation, and storage activities - within its water sector, in a bid to improve operational efficiency, attract investment and enhance sustainability. Nasser Saidi & Associates
• [New] Fiscal Exposure: NITI Aayog projects that India's water demand will be twice the available supply by 2030, implying a potential GDP loss of up to 6%. PMF IAS
• [New] Rather than viewing El Nino as a solution to ongoing drought, it is more appropriately considered a potential turning point that could influence water resource management over the coming year. / USA Industrial Info Resources
• [New] Ofwat has published its first artificial intelligence adoption plan for the water sector, outlining how AI could support operational efficiency, environmental performance and regulatory oversight across UK water companies. Water Industry Hub
• [New] Google has announced it will replenish more water than it consumes by 2030 and invest $500 million globally in water reuse and watershed restoration. Water Industry Hub
• [New] 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

Last updated: 02 August 2026