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] A serious water crisis threatens over sixty-four thousand residents in a major United States public water system, with engineers warning of total failure by April eighteenth, twenty twenty-six. Spreaker
• [New] Greater partnership between the water sector and other industries will be key to driving faster, more effective progress in meeting the UK's Net Zero ambitions. Innovate UK Business Connect
• [New] North Carolina has committed $17 million in grants to extending public water lines to more than 300 homes in New Hanover County, where private wells have been contaminated by PFAS, including GenX, in the Cape Fear River Basin. Pace Analytical -
• [New] Maine lawmakers have advanced LD 2115, a bill that would create a Well Contamination Response Fund to pay for testing and cleanup of private drinking water wells contaminated with PFAS from spills, the land application of sewage sludge (biosolids), and similar sources. Pace Analytical -
• [New] The population affected by water scarcity in Africa will nearly quadruple, from 80 million in 2016 to 311 million in 2050. Siemens
• [New] Water scarcity in urban areas is expected to increase throughout the world, impacting 1.3 billion people in Asia by 2050 (in 2016, it was 609 million). Siemens
• [New] The water crisis that could change everything in 2026 has already begun; it's not just about the climate, it affects technology, raises product prices, and can halt entire companies without warning. CPG Click Oil and Gas
• [New] A new satellite could transform how water is studied worldwide. Climate Tech Venture Review
• [New] Domestic water needs are anticipated to triple from 2010 to 2050. Center for Strategic and International Studies
• [New] By 2050, billions of people are expected to live in highly water-stressed river basins, particularly in regions already vulnerable to scarcity. Seametrics
• [New] Global water demand is projected to increase by 20-30% by 2050, driven by population growth and economic development. Seametrics
• [New] By 2030, the world could face a 40% gap between global water demand and available supply if current trends continue. Seametrics
• [New] Droughts are predicted to increase markedly over the next 20 years, with currently about 60-75% of people globally experiencing some form of water stress every year. Seametrics
• [New] The EPA and CISA have issued joint advisories in recent years specifically warning that US water and wastewater systems face active and ongoing targeting by both criminal ransomware groups and state-sponsored actors. Bynry
• [New] Changing everyday habits, such as how people shower, report leaks, and flush toilets, could help reduce England's projected daily water shortfall of five billion liters (about 1.32 billion gallons). SciTechDaily
• [New] Corpus Christi council members spent years discussing building a city-owned desalination plant capable of producing 30 million gallons of drinking water per day by 2028. Insurance Journal
• [New] The U.S. faces a growing crisis in its drinking water infrastructure that threatens not only the reliability of vital services but also the affordability of water for millions of households. Smart Water Magazine
• Achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030 would require tripling current investment levels to approximately $114 billion annually. Gray Group International
• 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
• 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
• 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

Last updated: 05 April 2026