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] Investors, through the Valuing Water Finance Initiative, are engaging large companies from four water intensive industries-apparel, beverage, food, and high-tech-on how to understand and address financial risks stemming from their broad water impacts and dependencies. Ceres: Sustainability is the bottom line
• [New] The Valuing Water Finance Initiative is a global investor-led effort to engage companies with a large water footprint to value and act on water as a financial risk and make the necessary large-scale changes to better protect freshwater water resources and build business resiliency. Ceres: Sustainability is the bottom line
• [New] Societies will need to rethink how land, water, energy, and raw materials are used if future generations are to live safely and sustainably. ScienceDaily
• [New] Among the risks linked to exceeding Earth's biocapacity are worsening climate impacts, biodiversity loss, declining food and water security, and increasing inequality. ScienceDaily
• [New] Five straight years of record heat, sporadic rainfall and divided leadership has Corpus Christi in danger of becoming the first U.S. city to run short of water. Insurance Journal
• [New] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced proposed changes to federal PFAS drinking water regulations that could significantly impact how public water systems plan for compliance in the coming years. Kleinfelder
• [New] 68% of the global population will reside in urban areas by 2050, adding 2.5 billion more city dwellers, creating unprecedented demand for intelligent urban infrastructure managing traffic, energy, water, and public safety at scale across rapidly expanding municipal boundaries. Persistence Market Research
• [New] A widespread hazard: Corporations' reckless and federally unregulated use of PFAS has poisoned the drinking water of up to 200 million people across the U.S. Earthjustice
• [New] California American Water plans approximately $277 million of water and wastewater infrastructure investments in 2026 across California. Stock Titan
• [New] By 2050, 92% of homes will overheat, peak river flows will be up to 45% higher and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion liters per day. / UK Engineering and Technology Magazine
• [New] Widespread Risk: Future projections suggest that by 2071, nearly half of the 204 freshwater basins in the US may not be able to meet monthly water demands. To be
• For Africa's young population, water means opportunity. World Bank Live
• California American Water's capital investment is focused on upgrading ageing infrastructure, enhancing water quality, reducing service disruptions, and improving system resilience. American Water Newsroom
• Water shortages in the US are reaching critical levels, driven by climate change, aging infrastructure, and aquifer depletion, with New Mexico, California, Arizona, and the Colorado River Basin facing severe risks. To be
• Future Outlook: Water withdrawals for AI-related operations in Texas alone could grow from 0.75% of state demand in 2025 to over 9% by 2040. To be
• Rainwater harvesting, the use of grey water in homes and an urgent campaign to reduce water usage across society are vital to prevent water shortages of 5bn liters a day by 2055. The Guardian
• The EPA proposes six control measure options that applicable water systems could select and implement to reduce PFOA and PFOS concentrations and provide information for consumers to decrease their exposure to PFAS. Federal Register
• To achieve compliance with the PFOA and PFOS MCLs, the EPA anticipates that some water systems will seek to restructure, such as entering into water system partnerships or physically consolidating or connecting with another nearby water system. Federal Register
• Water systems currently must complete monitoring by 2027 and install treatment systems by 2029. Green Building Law Update
• Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it plans to repeal federal restrictions on four PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in drinking water. Earthjustice

Last updated: 01 June 2026