Global Scans · Water · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Global demand for fresh water is expected to outpace sustainable supply by 40% in 2030. Global water demand will climb in tandem with population and economic growth. At least two-thirds of the world's population will face 'water stress' by 2025 and the number of people affected by floods could increase by a factor of three by 2100 bring significant risk of unrest and conflict. The UN Security Council will have to declare water a strategic resource of humanity and adopt a resolution to protect water resources and installations. Organizations will be expected to play their part in conserving water.

• [New] EPA retained only the 4 ppt Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFO and PFOS, Public water systems will now have an additional two years (until 2031) to comply with the MCL for PFOA and PFOS. BCLP - Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner - Federal PFAS Regul
• [New] Ensuring safe drinking water and reliable water infrastructure as well as the protection and restoration of waterbodies and watersheds will be priorities for EPA in the coming years. J. J. Keller Compliance Network
• [New] Hydrosat secured $60 million in Series B funding to expand its thermal imaging satellites used for monitoring water stress and climate risks. Cyclop SpaceTech
• [New] Access to reliable, affordable energy and water will surpass labour availability as the top site selection criteria in Mexico. American Industrial Magazine
• [New] Ocean energy technologies including wave, tidal, ocean thermal energy conversion with its 8-10 terawatt theoretical global potential, and salinity gradient power are progressing toward commercial viability. GlobeNewswire
• [New] Water could be used to make fuel on-site, thus expanding further mining and general space exploration without relying on resources from Earth. Discover Magazine
• [New] With fewer than five years remaining until 2030, the world is off track to achieve universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Welthungerhilfe.de - Fur eine Welt ohne Hunger und Armu
• [New] From global food systems to climate action, water governance will be high on the agenda in 2026. Welthungerhilfe.de - Fur eine Welt ohne Hunger und Armu
• [New] Eurasia Group's Top Risks for 2026, which highlighted the risk that some AI companies will adopt extractive business models that threaten social and political stability and that water is becoming a loaded weapon in several of the world's most dangerous rivalries. Global Shield's Newsletter
• [New] Water supply systems are more than 50% worn, and projected water deficits could reach 30% by 2030, including distribution losses. The Astana Times
• [New] In Sindh, southern Punjab and southeastern Balochistan, rainfall is expected to remain near normal but subdued, while above-normal temperatures may lead to soil moisture stress and continued water shortages, particularly in agricultural areas. brecorder
• [New] In Puerto Rico, ecosystem services were linked not just to water quality, but to housing conditions, heat, disease risk, and everyday well-being. This Week in Science
• [New] To compensate for the Mekorot line disruption, WASH agencies have increased both water production and trucked deliveries from groundwater wells and private sector desalination plants. Question of Palestine
• [New] The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and State announced a strengthened commitment under the 1944 Water Treaty that will improve cross-border water management and provide greater certainty for growers who depend on reliable water deliveries from the Rio Grande. Irrigation Today
• [New] Updates to the 1944 Water Treaty could reduce uncertainty for irrigation-dependent farms in South Texas. Irrigation Today
• [New] Mexico has agreed to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water per year to the U.S. during the current five-year cycle and will formulate a detailed plan to fully repay all outstanding water debt accrued during the previous cycle. Mexico News Daily
• [New] In addition to paying back the water debt, Mexico will deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water per year in the current five-year cycle, which began last month and runs through 2030. Texas Farm Bureau
• [New] The U.S. is to deliver water from the Colorado River for use in Mexico, while Mexico is expected to deliver water from its tributaries back to the Rio Grande for use by farmers and communities in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Texas Farm Bureau
• [New] Water utilities in the United States are facing a generational risk and need to find thousands of new workers quickly to manage and maintain critical infrastructure and ensure communities have access to high-quality water and services. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Exaggerating AI's climate potential distracts from the real costs of massive, energy - and water-hungry data centers imposed on communities worldwide. Beyond Fossil Fuels
• Ocean freight rates in 2026 are expected to remain range-bound, with periodic spikes driven by capacity withdrawals, port congestion, or geopolitical events. iContainers
• Around 21,000 desalination plants now operate across ~150 countries, and global energy consumption for desalination has nearly doubled since 2010 - with projections indicating another doubling by 2030. Market.us News
• Across both catchments, £150 million will be invested to capture 190 million liters - or nearly 32 million toilet flushes' worth - of excess flows during heavy rainfall so they can be fully treated, protecting bathing water quality by preventing storm overflow discharges. Anglian Water Services

Last updated: 21 February 2026