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] Public water systems have until 2029 to reduce PFAS in drinking water. WRDW-TV/WAGT-TV
• [New] With US$ 1 billion in EPA funding now flowing to states for PFAS remediation, the contrast between clean bottled water and contaminated tap water will only sharpen. Yahoo Finance
• [New] The Fengmiao Offshore Wind Farm, situated in the Taiwan Strait approximately 36 kilometers off the coast of Taichung City, will feature water depths ranging from 53 to 64 meters. MarineLink
• [New] At 2026's Winter Games, roughly 27,000 cubic meters (953,000 cubic feet) of water will be used to make artificial snow, the equivalent of 11 Olympic-size swimming pools. BBC
• [New] MENA will continue to attract robust infrastructure investment across rail, power, digital, and water - especially desalination-driven by ambitious project visions in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. Passle
• [New] Over 700 million people are projected to be displaced by water scarcity by 2030. Health Policy Watch
• [New] The Middle East, North Africa, South Asian and parts of the American Southwest face the most severe threat as high water stress collides with extreme vulnerability to climate change. Health Policy Watch
• [New] PFAS are posing a threat to the Great Lakes, one of America's most vital water resources. The Conversation
• [New] Spending on AI is forecast to approach US$ 2 trillion by 2026, driving rapid expansion of infrastructure that relies heavily on water for cooling, processing and power generation. Inside Water
• [New] The research, released by Xylem and Global Water Intelligence, estimates AI could add around 30 trillion liters of additional water demand each year as investment in computing power, semiconductor manufacturing and energy generation accelerates worldwide. Inside Water
• [New] Artificial intelligence is poised to become one of the fastest-growing drivers of global water demand, with new analysis projecting a near-130 per cent increase across the AI value chain by 2050. Inside Water
• [New] The rapid global expansion of artificial intelligence is set to drive a 129% surge in water demand across the AI value chain by 2050. https://www.indianchemicalnews.com/
• [New] As the UK water sector awaits the regulatory decisions that will ensure a rapid rollout of reuse, it is already clear that IPR will play a large role in securing national water supplies. Water Magazine
• [New] The National Building Code of Canada requires that concrete structures are designed for expected temperature ranges, wind loads and snow / water loads over their intended service life. On-Site Magazine
• [New] Demand for water, driven by hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage technologies, will rise sharply by 2050. Mirage News
• [New] Extreme weather events, identified as the top long-term risk in the WEF report, are the lived reality in Bangladesh and will continue to stress infrastructure, agriculture, water systems, and the urban environment. The Daily Star
• [New] Leveraging the Moon as an 8th Continent launch pad will enable more efficient deep-space propulsion (lunar water ice deposits, Helium-3 mining, regolith processing) and permanent human-occupied outposts (Artemis base, International Lunar Research Center, Moon Village). Space Calendar - The First Space Calendar on the Moon
• [New] With global initiatives promoting clean water access and sanitation, municipal demand for treatment chemicals is expected to remain strong over the coming years. EIN Presswire
• [New] Global water systems currently process roughly 320 trillion liters of wastewater annually and lose an estimated 100 trillion liters through ageing infrastructure-volumes that, if recovered, could offset AI's projected demand and reduce stress on freshwater resources. https://www.indianchemicalnews.com/
• [New] The Clean Water Act does not require states to adopt numeric, or numbers-based, nutrient criteria and concluded that the EPA's authorization of narrative standards will support Montana in its work to implement the Clean Water Act and protect state waters. Montana Free Press

Last updated: 09 February 2026