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] If left unchecked, millions of people could face increased malnutrition and water scarcity, causing serious health risks. The Cool Down
• [New] Water companies are already reporting challenges in meeting their targets for building reservoirs, with Thames Water reporting that its new reservoir in Oxfordshire could cost billpayers up to £7.5bn, three times the original budget. The i Paper
• [New] Roughly a fifth of the UK's water supply is currently being lost to leakages and firms have been set a target to half leakages by 2050. The i Paper
• [New] England faces a shortfall of nearly 5 billion liters of water per day by 2050, which is over a third of the amount of water currently consumed by the public. The i Paper
• [New] Climate change has increased the likelihood or severity of drought events in many parts of the world, causing reduced agricultural yields, drinking water shortages, increased wildfire risk, loss of lives and economic damages. United Nations
• [New] $1.65 trillion of investments will be needed for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure from 2024-2033. Advisorpedia
• [New] Some residual risks remain for water companies in East Anglia and South East England with lower than expected reservoir levels and different groundwater recharge. GOV.UK
• [New] Emerging water treatment technologies 2026 are not disruptive; instead, they are evolutionary. Water Treatment Supply
• [New] Smart water treatment systems will become a baseline expectation by 2026. Water Treatment Supply
• [New] Emerging water treatment technologies 2026 are centered on three core outcomes: higher water efficiency, improved compliance, and lower operational risk. Water Treatment Supply
• [New] Freshwater demand for food production is expected to double by 2050, supporting a population of 10 billion people, but its availability remains uncertain due to rising concerns about water scarcity and socio-economic impacts. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Necessary updates to the Colorado River Basin water plans offer a rare opportunity for long-term collaboration in a region facing historic drought. Audubon
• [New] With most coastal wetlands less than 1m above sea level, a 0.84m rise by 2100 would see most of them inundated with salt water. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Cooling and water demands: Up to 40% of data center energy goes to cooling systems, and water use could reach 6.6 billion cubic meters annually by 2027. Main Street Magazine
• [New] The causes of water pollution, and its effects on people, flora and fauna, is currently one of the biggest environmental threats to Africa. Greenpeace Africa
• [New] Laws taking effect in 2026 establish safeguards for sole-source aquifers, limiting certain industrial activities that could threaten drinking water supplies. STL.News
• Using a combination of satellite imagery, weather and ground-level environmental datasets, challenge registrants - who can form teams of up to three members - will develop AI models to forecast water quality based on key parameters (alkalinity, salinity and phosphorous) for rivers in South Africa. Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach
• By 2026, water scarcity will develop from a developmental concern to a matter of national security, which may intensify international disputes over the Tigris-Euphrates basins as nations prioritise upstream resource control, harming their neighbours. SpecialEurasia
• In 2026, the risk of water-borne IEDs and naval mines in the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz will persist as a fundamental threat, thus upholding elevated insurance costs and impeding global energy supply chains. SpecialEurasia
• Planned adjustments to irrigation tariffs in Punjab and Sindh are expected to bring water management closer to operational cost recovery. Mettis Global Link
• A 2026 rewrite will determine funding levels, project prioritization, and cost-share formulas at a time when aging infrastructure, low-water events, and congestion are already straining the Mississippi River system and its tributaries. Ag Bull Trading
• In agriculture, AI-driven platforms (combining satellite imagery, IoT sensors, and predictive analytics) will help farmers use water and fertilizer more precisely, boosting crop yields while minimizing environmental impact - critical as the world faces resource constraints. Eglobalis

Last updated: 12 January 2026