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] The water industry had not received the necessary investment in infrastructure under the privatised model, but the National Audit Office has estimated water companies will need to invest at least £290bn into infrastructure before 2050 to maintain networks and meet population needs. City AM
• [New] Internationally, the expansion of desalination infrastructure in the Middle East and water treatment buildouts across South Asia and Southeast Asia are creating significant export-oriented opportunities for qualified filtration-grade silica sand producers. Persistence Market Research
• [New] In the United States alone, annual capital expenditures for water and wastewater treatment infrastructure are projected to grow from US$ 37.2 billion to US$ 57.3 billion over the next decade. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Global warming is now likely to reach 2 °C before 2050, a level associated with major disruption to water and food systems, migration and human health, increasing the risk of climate-driven inflation, financial shocks and the withdrawal of insurance from high-risk areas much sooner than expected. Bruegel | The Brussels-based economic think tank
• [New] Water shortages in England are predicted to reach 5bn liters a day by 2055 - equivalent to a shortfall of 2,000 Olympic-sized pools - as a result of climate breakdown, population increases and the expansion of water-intensive industries such as datacenters. The Guardian
• [New] Pallone cited rising electricity costs, water use, air pollution, and potential PFAS risks, saying mid-Atlantic ratepayers paid more than $9 billion last year for electricity tied to data centers and Big Tech AI demand. Just Security
• [New] Launching the AI Environmental Transparency Initiative: Force major artificial intelligence companies to disclose the carbon, water, and land footprints of their operations, mandating that all data centers run on 100% renewable energy by 2030. Insights IAS
• [New] Severe Resource Strain: By 2030, data center cooling loops will consume enough fresh water annually to meet the basic survival needs of the 1.3 billion people living in sub-Saharan Africa. Insights IAS
• [New] The approximately 500 TWh of energy and 560 billion liters of water consumed by data centers in 2025 is expected to double by 2030. Travers Smith
• [New] On water, U.S. data centers directly consumed about 17 billion gallons in 2023, with hyperscale and colocation facilities using 84% of it, and hyperscale alone is projected to use 16-33 billion gallons a year by 2028. Debate Arguments
• [New] The United Nations has launched an AI Environmental Transparency Initiative calling on AI companies to disclose the carbon, water, and land-use impacts of their data centers and transition to renewable energy by 2030. MarketingProfs
• Tunisia, one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, plans to use 248 million cubic meters of desalinated water annually by 2050 for hydrogen production. Stanford Social Innovation Review
• Morocco, a country facing severe water stress, plans to use green hydrogen production, and the electrolysis process to create it demands enormous quantities of water. Stanford Social Innovation Review
• By 2030, AI data centers could use enough water to meet the basic needs of all 1.3 billion residents of sub-Saharan Africa for an entire year. UN News
• Growing water scarcity could hamper the expansion of lithium mining in the U.S., deepening its reliance on foreign imports over the coming decades, a new study finds. Live Science
• As hundreds of new data centers are planned or under development across Texas, the State Water Plan should account for their projected water demand. Sierra Club
• Water safety plans remain central to WHO's recommended approach for managing drinking-water risks. World Health Organization: WHO
• Kazakhstan is projected to experience a shortfall of water of up to 50% of its needs for business and household use by 2040. Eurasianet
• The coastal city, Texas' eighth largest city, is staring down a persistent drought that has placed it on course to being the first U.S. city to run short of water sometime in 2027. The Texas Tribune
• The global water and wastewater treatment industry is projected to grow rapidly over the next few years, increasing from $323 billion in 2023 to $536 billion by 2030 - a compound annual growth rate of 7.5%. Seven Seas Water Corporation
• As water scarcity becomes a global concern, industries are expected to intensify reuse efforts, significantly increasing long-term demand for specialty treatment chemicals. Persistence Market Research

Last updated: 06 July 2026