100 Intelligence Briefs

The European Commission has referred Bulgaria, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden to the European Court of Justice for failing to transpose the Directive on Critical Entities Resilience (CER). Among these critical entities are drinking water companies, water management or

This summer, the European Commission will present a proposal to adapt the Water Framework Directive (WFD) to facilitate mining activities. This plan is facing widespread opposition and calls to leave the recently revised WFD unchanged are growing louder. Members of the European Parliament, environme

In April, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin launched the Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) 2.0, a revamped effort from the first Trump administration to accelerate water reuse in the United States. In 2020, the first Trump Administration launched WRAP in partnership wi

The completion of an innovative project to prevent and manage diffuse pollution from urban runoff is providing benefits to water utilities, policymakers and urban planners. D4Runoff, which commenced in September 2022, has created a framework for prevention and management of this type of under studie

Researchers' calculations show that modern agricultural water management (AWM) practices can only sustainably provide food for 3.4 billion people. There is no way they can cover the consumption needs of a population of 10 billion in 2050. Experts at the World Bank suggest what needs to change to cou

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released for public comment a draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6) that includes microplastics and pharmaceuticals for the first time. The draft list was announced at an event by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin along with a setRead More

The European Commission is investigating how to revise the Water Framework Directive to facilitate mining and industrial activities. Last week, eight trade associations sent a warning letter to the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Ro

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new $3.8 billion nature strategy, A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, with a strong marine and watershed component on March 31. […] The post Carney announces new national nature strategy appeared first on Water Canada. More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on its Clean Water Act Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) guidance. This non-regulatory guidance is an important resource that helps local water bills remain affordable as wastewater systems plan for needed infrastructure upgr

Edward Barbier asks the question every water professional should confront: if water is so valuable and increasingly scarce, why is it so consistently mismanaged? His answer — spanning millennia, dozens of countries, and rigorous economic analysis — concludes that the global water crisis is not prima

Rescue Engineers announced Feb. 12 it will invest several million dollars to increase its operational capacity for the California public water utilities market to address new regulations involving hexavalent chromium. […] The post Rescue Engineers invests to address new California hexavalent chromiu

Ofwat has published its Final Climate Change Principles, setting out a principles-based framework to guide how water companies respond to the growing risks posed by climate change. The regulator... More

Analysis L21 | Water crises in Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro: an opportunity for privatization? More

Under the new regulations, Member States must monitor levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in a harmonised manner in order to ensure compliance with the new EU limit values. These are set out in the recast Drinking Water Directive. Member States will also be require

How can society be persuaded to adopt a diet based on plant products, which is far more beneficial for the global climate? Scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research (PIK) suggest introducing a meat tax, arguing that expensive hamburgers will encourage people to choose plant-based fo

The government is imposing requirements linked to the EU’s Drinking Water Directive. Manufacturers must ensure that products in contact with drinking water are made from end materials that have been tested and approved in accordance with new EU legislation. The government is proposing amendments to

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is set to drive a 129% increase in global water demand across the AI value chain by 2050, according to new research by Xylem and Global Water Intelligence (GWI). A new report, Watering the New Economy: Managing the ImpactsRead More The post Water demand

The Alberta government is expanding Water Act exemptions to make storing and using water easier for stakeholders. The new and expanded exemptions will “increase water availability, improve conservation, support agricultural […] The post Alberta expands, adds Water Act exemptions appeared first on Wa

The UK's biggest water reforms since 1989 reveal a hard truth: £190 billion in infrastructure failed because nobody checked if it worked. More

Thirty-three years ago, the International Conference on Water and the Environment produced four brilliant principles that transformed water policy discourse worldwide. Today, utilities spend hundreds of billions on infrastructure while those same principles gather dust on institutional shelves—a pat

New EU regulations require Member States to monitor per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in line with the updated Drinking Water Directive. Under these rules, Member States... More

On Jan. 8, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a three-bill appropriations package that includes the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,... More

The government of Canada ordered Superior General Partner Inc. on Jan. 7 to pay a fine of $1.35 million by the Court of Québec for violating the Fisheries Act. The company […] More

The government says that 2025 has been a landmark year of action on water, with the biggest reforms in a decade and decisive action taken to reset the water sector, strengthen regulation and drive long-term investment. More

AI growth is driving a rapid buildout of data centers across the United States in areas already short on clean water, forcing cities and towns to compete with More

In a significant development that underscores growing tensions between the United States and multilateral environmental institutions, Washington has expressed serious concerns that the United Nations ...

The GAP Project built 22 dams and 19 power plants in Türkiye, altering the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and reshaping the water balance of the Middle East. More

Punjab's crisis reveals the fundamental problem plaguing agricultural water management globally: sophisticated policy frameworks and ambitious targets fail completely without operational excellence in execution. More

Raghuram Rajan's framework of state, markets, and community offers a practical lens for understanding why water utilities must adopt market-level performance systems.

Experts suspect that dust from the sea contains endotoxic bacteria membranes caused by fertilizer runoff Chemical-laden dust from southern California’s drying Salton Sea is likely harming the lungs of people around the shrinking body of water, and the effects are especially pronounced in children, n

In "The Third Pillar," former IMF Chief Economist Raghuram Rajan argues that society rests on three essential pillars: the state, markets, and community. When these fall out of balance, the consequences ripple through every aspect of our lives. More

Mexico's Water Reforms: A Turning Point for Irrigation District Management November 8, 2025 Mexico stands at a pivotal moment in water governance. President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has prop...

Executives at world’s biggest datacenter owner grappled with disclosing information about water used to help power facilities Amazon strategised about keeping the public in the dark over the true extent of its datacentres’ water use, a leaked internal document reveals. The biggest owner of datacentr

*Canada leads ambitious three-year initiative to protect and restore the world's freshwater resources* Water is life. It sustains ecosystems, drives economies, and determines the health and wellbeing...

The Government of Alberta has introduced legislation to update its Water Act, aiming to simplify licensing, improve transparency and support growing demand for water across the province. Bill 7, the Water […]
FREDsense Technologies Corp. has secured US $7 million in Series A financing to scale up its rapid testing tools aimed at tracking per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to […] The post Calgary-based FREDsense raises $7M to expand rapid PFAS testing technology appeared first on W

The Arab region’s share in global productivity of scientific research papers related to Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitatio...

The federal government manages a portfolio of over 20,000 contaminated sites across Canada, many of which are located at military bases, airports, and firefighting training facilities where PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) were historically used. Some larger WWTPs in Canada have initiated pilot projects to explore PFAS removal technologies, including advanced oxidation, foam fractionation, and electrochemical destruction.

To ensure that plants receive the water they need, Alberta is removing the requirement to have a temporary diversion licence to water plants as part of a riparian restoration project. This change wil...

Seven countries stand out for having over 90% of their bathing waters rated as excellent, and all of them operate water services that are more than 90% publicly owned. The post Which European countries have nationalised water? appeared first on Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate.

And what we can do to help them complete their journeys The post Denied entry: How dams stop freshwater species from migrating appeared first on #ThinkLandscape.

The European Commission recently initiated procedures against eight Member States for failing to transpose the recast Drinking Water Directive correctly into national law. In June Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal received a letter of formal notice and in July letters to Ireland, France and Slovenia were sent. Member States were required to transpose […] The post Brussels starts enforcement of recast Drinking Water Directive appeared first on Water News Europe.

An independent review of the water industry is to recommend sweeping changes to the way the sector is managed, including the potential replacement of Ofwat with a strengthened body combining economic and environmental regulation.

<p>Argentina's government has announced it's starting the privatization process for the country's public water company, Aguas y Saneamientos Argentinos (AySA). Specifically, the Argentine executive branch will transfer 90% of the state's shares in AySA to private capital, with the remaining 10% going to the company's employees as part of an 'employee ownership program.</p>

The Welsh government is to take on Ofwat's job amid major changes to how water is regulated.

A decade after lead contaminated water was found in Flint, Michigan’s water system, the legal battle to replace lead water pipes is finished, a landmark milestone for a city defined by its dangerous...

Sectors that use the most water also offer the greatest potential for savings. That’s why the European Environment Agency (EEA) has identified sectors responsible for the highest levels of water abstraction in the EU and proposed targeted efficiency measures. These findings are outlined in the new report ‘Water Savings for a Water-Resilient Europe’, published on […] The post EEA identifies water saving measures for EU’s most water-intensive sectors appeared first on Water News Europe.

Water companies must be transparent in their efforts to prevent pollution from 23rd June as a new legal requirement in the Water (Special Measures) Act comes into force (Section 3). New rules make...

Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated. A new study led...

Who owns the water of the Nile and what is its most dangerous inhabitant? Most of us know very little about the world’s longest river, and it's high time to change that. Especially since, according to scientists, the Nile is shrinking with each passing decade, while the lives and well-being of more than 300 million Africans depend on its waters.

The research highlights the groundwater issues complicating the Colorado River's already strained water supply.

Urgent calls for reform of the water sector in the UK have been issued by a team of researchers from the Centre for Environmental Policy (CEP) at Imperial College London, with a symposium taking place earlier this year to discuss how the various challenges could be addressed. The CEP’s professor Nick Voulvoulis was […] The post Call Issued For Urgent UK Water Sector Reform appeared first on H2O Building Services.

The European Commission is asking all Member States to reduce their water use by ten per cent by 2030. These water saving objectives are part of the Water Resilience Strategy that was presented today by European commissioner Jessika Roswall. “Member States can choose how to achieve this reduction. For example, by preventing leakage or scaling […] The post EC introduces 10% water saving objectives to create awareness in Water Resilience Strategy appeared first on Water News Europe.

Living with a river rather than fighting it was how medieval people were able to survive

The severe depletion of groundwater levels this summer created favourable conditions for private water tanker operators to thrive in their business

The Spanish government has come up with a plan to address the harmful environmental impact of wet wipes. It also wants to find funding to remove their residue from the environment. A draft royal decree has just been published, which proposes a ban on flushing wet wipes down the toilet. There are also plans to impose fees on manufacturers for waste disposal.

Ohio lawmakers have taken a step toward ensuring clean, safe drinking water for all residents with the introduction of the Lead Line Replacement Act, a sweeping bipartisan effort to eliminate every...

A French Senate report released this week stated that the French government failed to disclose information related to the treatment of mineral water by Nestlé, allowing the company to use processes...

A record 81 criminal investigations into water companies have been launched in England since the last election, as part of a sweeping Government crackdown on sewage pollution. The initiative, led by...

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will keep the current National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)...

The Water Resilience Strategy due to be presented on 4 June is likely to contain many positive elements, according to a leaked version. The document rightly prioritises nature-based solutions and calls for a whole-society approach towards increased water efficiency. EurEau also fully subscribes to efforts stimulating innovation and digitalisation, strengthening governance, investment and skills development. As most measures are non-legislative, their real impact remains to be seen. On the other

Laughing gas (nitrous oxide or N₂O) is primarily released by the microorganisms responsible for cleaning our wastewater. These microbes live in complex communities, with each group performing a...

At first glance, it may not be clear whether the issuance of a water permit requires consideration of whether its execution will impact the water condition on the property, more precisely, whether it may cause a change in the water condition on the property to the detriment of neighboring lands. The answer to this question can be found in the judgment of the Provincial Administrative Court in Lublin dated December 21, 2023 (ref. II SA/Lu 895/23), as well as in the provisions of the Water Law.

Twenty-eight major U.S. cities, including New York, Dallas, and Seattle, are seeing urban areas sink by 2 to 10 millimeters per year, according to new research from Virginia Tech. The major cause is...

In the arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, access to clean and safe water remains a pervasive challenge that profoundly shapes the daily lives of millions. A groundbreaking study recently published in Nature Communications sheds new light on how climatic variables, specifically temperature and precipitation, directly influence the time burden associated with water collection […]

The National Audit Office warns that Defra and water regulators have failed to drive the investment needed to address significant environmental, supply, and infrastructure challenges facing the sector.

Scientists and stakeholders must engage in broad collaborations and deep research to help ensure safe water supplies, as the 'One Water' approach unites utilities, communities, and researchers around a single interconnected resource.

Cyprus depleted critical water reserves through political decisions between 2017 and 2023, forcing the government to seek emergency desalination assistance from the United Arab Emirates to survive this summer, an Audit Office report has revealed. The Audit Office report, which examined the Water Development Department (WDD) and Environment Department’s adaptation of water resource management to […]

Senior executives at water companies who conceal illegal sewage spills could now face up to two years in prison, as tough new powers come into force under the Government’s Water (Special Measures)...

On March 27, amid a flourish of national attention, Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox signed much-debated legislation that bans adding fluoride to the state’s public drinking water systems. The ban, which takes effect on May 7, is the first by a state to outlaw community water fluoridation since the U.S. Public Health Service formally endorsed […] The post Utah’s Fluoride Ban in Drinking Water Won’t Settle Dispute on Safety appeared first on Circle of Blue.

Minister of Environment and National Beautification Adrian Forde has linked illegal dumping to worsening water quality and scarcity in Barbados, backing a proposed $20 000 fine under the new Storm… The post Forde: Dumping negatively impacting water supply appeared first on Barbados Today.

<p>Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing settlements with organicgirl, LLC and nine other entities with facilities across California for claims of chemical safety-related violations under the Clean Air Act. All entities agreed to come into compliance with Risk Management Program (RMP) safety requirements and pay penalties, which total over $170,000. “Reducing risks from accidental releases of</p>

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper considers Fulton County pollution drama as a reason to sound the alarm over the now-uncertain future of the U.S. Geological Survey’s South Atlantic Water Science Center in Norcross.

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 21: A new study on water governance in Shillong, published in the journal of the World Water Council, reveals that the dorbar shnongs or traditional village councils, along with the clan system, play a decisive role in the management and distribution of water across the city. The study by Bankerlang […] The post How clans control access to water in city appeared first on The Shillong Times.

The European Environment Agency's report Preventing Waste in Europe - Progress and Challenges, with a special focus on food waste, was published on March 31, 2025.

Inland waters - lakes, rivers and artificial reservoirs - are an important component of the global biogeochemical system

Hours after President Donald Trump threatened Mexico with additional tariffs over a massive water debt, that country's president publicly vowed to make a substantial payment soon.

Pakistan, home to over 250 million people, is edging close to a deeper water crisis. Climate change is tightening its grip, with rising temperatures, shrinking glaciers, and increasingly erratic rainfall. As a result, the water supply has become less reliable than ever. Hotter days mean higher evaporation, driving up demand for both drinking water and crop irrigation — which consumes over 90 per cent of the country’s available water. At the same time, the expansion of cultivated land, rising cr

Fluoride occurs naturally as fluoride ions in drinking water, but levels are low in municipal drinking water in Sweden. In some countries such as the USA, Canada, Chile, Australia and Ireland, it is common to add fluoride to municipal drinking water to prevent caries, usually at around 0.7 mg fluoride per litre of water. In […] The post Swedish study finds fluoride in drinking water affects children’s health appeared first on Water News Europe.

Untreated wastewater continues to be discharged into the environment in many countries. Unfortunately, the situation in the UK is a case in point - it is estimated that only 14% of rivers there meet environmental standards. Water quality monitoring reveals that as many as 75% of estuaries flowing directly into or near bathing waters were of such poor quality that they posed a constant and serious threat to human health. The British government wants to have the following by 2040. Stop 40% of the

Europe must take leadership in the transition to water-smart societies

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced last week that EPA will work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to review the definition of “waters of the United States.” EPA said it will move quickly to ensure that a revised definitionRead More The post EPA to revise Water of the U.S. rule appeared first on Water Finance & Management.

Without swift and effective action, composting may become an environmental crisis, rather than a solution.

The Government of Canada announced the appointment of Mark Fisher as the President of the new Canada Water Agency, reporting to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Fresh water is essential to the well-being of Canadians, the health and sustainability of the environment, and the economy. Mr. Fisher will lead the Agency in pursuing […]

The Water Coalition Against PFAS, a coalition of water sector associations whose membership represents all facets of clean and safe water delivery, is strongly supporting the reintroduction legislation that would protect utilities and ratepayers from having to bear the costs of PFAS cleanup. The Water SystemsRead More The post Water sector lauds bipartisan PFAS legislation appeared first on Water Finance & Management.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said his agency under the Trump administration intends to overhaul the WaterSense labeling program for water-efficient products. “The Biden Admin weaponized energy efficiency rules to restrict consumer choice with home appliances,” Zeldin wrote on X on Feb.Read More The post Trump EPA to overhaul WaterSense program appeared first on Water Finance & Management.

A March 2024 Public Health study found that even at levels below EPA's safety standards, nitrate in drinking water increases the risk of cancer-related deaths by 73%.

A UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose policy brief by Mariana Mazzucato and Luca Kühn von Burgsdorff outlines five global missions and four governance pillars needed to tackle the water crisis.

The recent flooding has got me thinking: I wonder how much sewage was released into the waterways as a result […] The post What sewage to water ratio are you comfortable with? appeared first on Glasgow Guardian.

By Hannah Grover Federal lawmakers are once again seeking to protect drinking water and wastewater utilities from some of the costs associated with PFAS contamination. A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washington, and Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, if enacted, would shield utilities from legal costs and cleanup liabilities associated with PFAS contamination. […] The post Federal legislation seeks to shield water, wastewater utilities from PFAS costs appeared first on

It is now studying the risks of PFAS in sludge fertilizer, also known as biosolids, in order “to better understand the scope of farms that may have applied contaminated biosolids and develop targeted interventions to support farmers and protect the food supply,” the agency said in a statement. It estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land.

Complaints to the water consumer watchdog at highest level for nearly a decade, with complaints about the environment fuelling surge.

A: Wastewater discharge regulations are highly complex, with multiple federal acts, state-specific regulations and additional industry and site-specific regulations that must be considered. In this Q&A, he shares his insights on how companies can effectively navigate discharge regulations, keep up with changing standards, and ensure their operations meet all necessary compliance requirements.

Communities of color are more likely to have higher levels of these contaminants in their drinking water.

The chemicals — found in everything from cosmetics and cookware to diapers and clothing — have been linked to a range of illnesses, including cancer and liver disease. A U.S. government stud...

In a study published Tuesday, the EPA acknowledged that PFAS in sludge used as fertilizer can taint crops, water and soil. The contaminated sludge is then used as a fertilizer on farms where it can taint crops, water and soil.

YONCALLA — The former operator of the Yoncalla wastewater treatment facility is facing criminal charges after authorities said he fabricated data on required testing of wastewater at the site, and

What to expect: deregulation justified as boosts for the economy, and platitudes about the importance of clean air and water.

Greenhouse gas methane is behind a third of planetary heating and is relatively easy to slash. The tools to cut methane exist but so does a gap between pledges on methane reduction and action, says a new UN report.

Holding signs with slogans including “stop the plop” and “species not feces,” thousands of people marched in London on Sunday to demand a cleanup of Britain’s sewage-clogged waterways . Water pollution has become an increasingly high-profile issue in Britain, focusing attention on climate change and the legacy of privatization of Britain’s utilities several decades ago.