Author: getwetprojectblog

EPA Announces It Will Keep Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFOA, PFOS

EPA intends to provide regulatory flexibility and holistically address these contaminants in drinking water 

Contact Information

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – 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) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which set nationwide limits for these “forever chemicals” in drinking water. The agency is committed to addressing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water while following the law and ensuring that regulatory compliance is achievable for drinking water systems. 

“The work to protect Americans from PFAS in drinking water started under the first Trump Administration and will continue under my leadership,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “We are on a path to uphold the agency’s nationwide standards to protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their water. At the same time, we will work to provide common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance. This will support water systems across the country, including small systems in rural communities, as they work to address these contaminants. EPA will also continue to use its regulatory and enforcement tools to hold polluters accountable.” 

As part of this action, EPA is announcing its intent to extend compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS, establish a federal exemption framework, and initiate enhanced outreach to water systems, especially in rural and small communities, through EPA’s new PFAS OUTreach Initiative (PFAS OUT). This action would help address the most significant compliance challenges EPA has heard from public water systems, members of Congress, and other stakeholders, while supporting actions to protect the American people from certain PFAS in drinking water.  

Paired with effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for PFAS and other tools to ensure that polluters are held responsible, EPA’s actions are designed to reduce the burden on drinking water systems and the cost of water bills, all while continuing to protect public health and ensure that the agency is following the law in establishing impactful regulations such as these. 

EPA is also announcing its intent to rescind the regulations and reconsider the regulatory determinations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (commonly known as GenX), and the Hazard Index mixture of these three plus PFBS to ensure that the determinations and any resulting drinking water regulation follow the legal process laid out in the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

Regulatory Protection with Flexibility and Cost Savings   

On April 10, 2024, EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, including standards for PFOA and PFOS. At that time, EPA established legally enforceable levels for these PFAS in drinking water and gave public water systems until 2029 to comply with the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). 

To allow drinking water systems more time to develop plans for addressing PFOA and PFOS where they are found and implement solutions, EPA plans to develop a rulemaking to provide additional time for compliance, including a proposal to extend the compliance date to 2031. EPA plans to issue a proposed rule this fall and finalize this rule in the Spring of 2026. Aligned with the agency’s intent to provide additional compliance time for water systems, EPA encourages states seeking primacy for implementing the PFAS drinking water regulation to request additional time from EPA to develop their applications. At the same time, EPA will support the U.S. Department of Justice in defending ongoing legal challenges to the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation with respect to PFOA and PFOS.  

“EPA has done the right thing for rural and small communities by delaying implementation of the PFAS rule. This commonsense decision provides the additional time that water system managers need to identify affordable treatment technologies and make sure they are on a sustainable path to compliance. NRWA greatly appreciates this reasonable and flexible approach, and we look forward to partnering with the agency’s PFAS OUTreach Initiative to help ensure water systems have the resources and support they need,” said National Rural Water Association CEO Matthew Holmes.  

“ASDWA supports EPA’s proposed approach to the PFAS regulation to extend the compliance date for systems by an additional two years. With the current compliance date of 2029, states and water systems are struggling with the timeframes to complete the pilot testing, development of construction plans, and building the necessary treatment improvements. EPA’s proposed extension of the compliance date and increased technical assistance will address the number of systems that would be out of compliance in 2029 due to not being able complete all of these tasks on time,” said Association of State Drinking Water Administrators Executive Director Alan Roberson. 

Enhancing Communication and Outreach  

To enhance engagement on addressing PFAS, EPA will launch PFAS OUT to connect with every public water utility known to need capital improvements to address PFAS in their systems, including those EPA has identified as having PFOA and PFOS levels above EPA’s MCL. EPA will share resources, tools, funding, and technical assistance to help utilities meet the federal drinking water standards. PFAS OUT will ensure that no community is left behind as we work to protect public health and bring utilities into compliance with federal drinking water standards. PFAS OUT will engage utilities, technical assistance providers and local, State, Tribal, and Territorial leaders to develop effective, practical solutions where they are needed most. 

EPA will continue to offer free water technical assistance (WaterTA) that provides services to water systems to improve their drinking water and help communities access available funding. EPA’s WaterTA initiatives work with water systems nationwide to identify affordable solutions to assess and address PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. Services offered to utilities include water quality testing, development of technical plans, operator training support, designing public engagement and outreach strategies, and support for accessing federal funding opportunities.   

Holding Polluters Accountable  

Drinking water systems are passive receivers of PFOA and PFOS. Polluters can contaminate the surface waters or aquifers that these systems rely on to provide the drinking water to their communities. As announced by Administrator Zeldin, EPA intends to take a number of actions to reduce the prevalence of PFAS in the environment, including in sources of drinking water. Progress reducing concentrations of PFAS in drinking water sources can substantially reduce the cost burden for water systems and reduce the cost of living for the communities they serve. 

A Record of Leadership   

Administrator Zeldin’s leadership on PFAS dates back to his time in Congress, where he was a founding member of the PFAS Congressional Taskforce and a strong supporter of the PFAS Action Act, legislation to provide funding to support local communities cleaning up PFAS-contaminated water systems. He was, and remains, a staunch advocate for protecting Long Islanders and all Americans from contaminated drinking water.    

In the process of developing and taking action on a number of these items, Administrator Zeldin personally heard from members of Congress on passive receiver issues where local water utilities will foot the bill for contamination and pass those costs onto consumers. This mindset and the need for a polluter pays model has guided a lot of the work to be done at EPA in the future.  

Background    

On April 28, 2025, Administrator Zeldin announced a long list of actions to combat PFAS contamination that included in part the designation of an agency lead for PFAS, the development of ELGs for certain PFAS to reduce discharges to waterways including upstream of drinking water systems, and initiatives to engage with Congress and industry to establish a clear liability framework that ensures passive receivers and consumers are protected. This list is the first, not the last, of all decisions and actions EPA will be taking to address PFAS over the course of the Trump Administration. There will be more to come in the future across EPA’s program offices to help communities impacted by PFAS contamination.  

During President Trump’s first term, EPA convened a two-day National Leadership Summit on PFAS in Washington, D.C. that brought together more than 200 federal, state, and local leaders from across the country to discuss steps to address PFAS. Following the Summit, the agency hosted a series of visits during the summer of 2018 in communities directly impacted by PFAS. EPA interacted with more than 1,000 Americans during community engagement events in Exeter, New Hampshire, Horsham, Pennsylvania, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Leavenworth, Kansas, as well as through a roundtable in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and events with tribal representatives in Spokane, Washington.  

In 2019, the Trump EPA announced the PFAS Action Plan. This historic Plan responded to extensive public interest and input the agency received and represented the first time EPA built a multi-media, multi-program, national communication and research plan to address an emerging environmental challenge like PFAS. EPA’s Action Plan identified both short-term solutions for addressing these chemicals and long-term strategies that will help provide the tools and technologies states, tribes, and local communities need to provide clean and safe drinking water to their residents and to address PFAS at the source—even before it gets into the water. 

EPA supports water systems in reducing PFAS and emerging contaminants (EC) in drinking water through a range of funding resources. Federal funding opportunities include the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, the EC Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant program, and funding resources, like EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, that can be leveraged to provide supplemental, flexible, low-cost credit assistance to public and private borrowers. 

For information about the PFAS Rule, visit Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) NPDWR Implementation. For more information about PFAS Technical Assistance, visit EPA Water Technical Assistance. You can also Request EPA WaterTA services for your community.  

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-it-will-keep-maximum-contaminant-levels-pfoa-pfos?

Troubled waters? The future of drinking water in the U.S.

From fluoride to “forever chemicals,” drinking water has been in the spotlight this year. In a Q&A, Yale epidemiologist Nicole Deziel discusses the water we drink today — and what’s on tap for the future.

Aug 13, 2025

7 min read

By Meg Dalton

(Illustration by Michael S. Helfenbein)

Woman drinking water from a glass

Listen to this story

8:33

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, made history — as the first city in the world to add small amounts of fluoride to its public water supply. At the time, studies showed communities with higher levels of natural fluoride in water had better dental health. Water fluoridation is now practiced in about 25 countries around the world, including Spain, Malaysia, and the United States. In the U.S., approximately 63% of the population drinks fluoridated water.

Low levels of fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, can be found in many sources of drinking water due to natural processes like the weathering of rocks and human activities like manufacturing. However, there’s growing debate over whether additional fluoride should be introduced to drinking water. This year, states including Utah and Florida have banned the use of fluoride in public water systems, and federal officials have called for more states to follow suit.

Nicole Deziel is an associate professor of epidemiology (environmental health sciences) and co-director of the Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. In an interview, she explains the benefits and risks of fluoride, how “forever chemicals” and climate change impact water quality, and how we can monitor the water we drink.

Nicole Deziel
Nicole Deziel

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are the benefits of fluoride? Are there any potential risks?

Nicole Deziel: Fluoride can strengthen our bones and teeth enamel, and the strengthening of the enamel prevents cavities. But too much of it can damage our bones and enamel in a process called fluorosis, and it can potentially have neurological effects as well. Fluoridation of the public water supply can help address disparities in dental insurance and access to dental care.

Finding the right amount where the benefits outweigh the risks is key. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends a fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L [parts per million] in drinking water. The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 1.5 mg/L, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets a limit of 4 mg/L. Newer evidence of more subtle neurological effects is prompting reexamination of these target levels and limits.

Why are we seeing some states ban the use of fluoride in public water systems? Why are some people suspicious of it?

Deziel: There’s a long history of controversy about fluoride, including urban legends and conspiracy theories. For some people, it may seem counterintuitive to add a chemical that may have some toxic properties to make our water safer. However, we do this with chlorine as well. Chlorine is toxic at high levels and can form harmful byproducts, but we add it to drinking water to disinfect it and kill bacteria and pathogens to make our water safe to drink. We’re often doing these kinds of tradeoffs in environmental health and public health. In addition, misinformation and distrust of science could all be contributing to us revisiting this [the fluoridation of water]. 

Finding the right amount [of fluoride] where the benefits outweigh the risks is key.

Nicole Deziel

However, there’s been some new data that should prompt us to reexamine fluoride. There have been a few recent studies that have shown that fluoride exposure is linked to lower IQ levels in children where fluoride levels are above some of the target levels. Some in the dental community have raised concerns about how the data in those studies are being interpreted. Given these concerns, it is important that experts across disciplines collectively re-examine the latest evidence on fluoride’s risks and benefits to ensure the public and policymakers receive clear, evidence-based guidance.

Let’s move from fluoride to so-called “forever chemicals,” also known as PFAS. What are PFAS, and why are they called “forever chemicals”?

Deziel: PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment as well as human bodies. They’re molecules that have chains of carbon and fluorine, and the carbon-fluorine bond is the strongest chemical bond known.

Their properties have made PFAS very desirable in many consumer products like Teflon pans, stain-resistant and water-resistant clothing and textiles, food packaging, and more. They’re also in firefighting foam.

According to some estimates, 90% of drinking water in the U.S. contains PFAS. How did happen, and what impact do PFAS have on our health?

Deziel: This happens for a few reasons, such as improper disposal of PFAS at manufacturing sites and the use of firefighting foams at airports and military bases. But PFAS are also in household products, many of which can go down the drain and be introduced into our environment.

PFAS have been linked to a variety of adverse health problems, including endocrine disruption, cancer, reproductive effects, decreased effects on our immune system, decreased efficacy of vaccines, and more.

Last year, the U.S. set the first-ever national limits on PFAS. Now, some of those regulations are being delayed or reconsidered. How are limits set for contaminants like PFAS?

Deziel: The Environmental Protection Agency sets maximum contaminant levels for drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act. When they set them, they’re allowed to consider not just public health but technological or economic feasibility. It took about 20 years just to get the PFAS standards passed, even though we’ve known about these issues for decades. This is a very slow and inefficient process, and the standards are not keeping pace with the science. So, it’s frustrating that the few new standards set may not even move forward.

In recent years, we’ve also seen several extreme weather events, from wildfires and floods to intense heat and droughts. How does climate change threaten the safety of our drinking water?

Deziel: Climate change can impact our drinking water in many ways. First, increasing intense droughts can affect our water supplies and lead to water scarcity. With wildfires, we often focus on the smoke and the immediate damage, but once the fires have been addressed, there are concerns about all the fire-retardant chemicals that are deposited into our soils and waterways. Plus, wildfires require a lot of water. Rising sea levels can create saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources. Floods and storms can release chemicals into our waterways and impact our water infrastructure overall. So there are many ways our changing climate and extreme weather can affect drinking water.

What can people like you and me do to monitor — and even improve — the quality of the water we drink?

Deziel: In public health, we talk about a hierarchy of controls. So, the best would be to have evidence-based drinking water standards that reflect the best science, and that would be because not everybody has the time and resources to research different strategies or purchase different filters.

However, if someone wanted to reduce their exposures to chemicals, there are several different filtering devices that are available. The most common is the charcoal, or activated carbon, filter. These can remove some chemicals including chlorine, some metals, some organic contaminants, and some but not all PFAS. They can be installed for the whole house, under the sink, or directly on the faucet. Reverse osmosis filters, which push water through a special membrane, are more effective at removing a much wider range of chemicals, but they’re more expensive. Countertop and pitcher-style filters are other options. They use gravity to pass water through a carbon cartridge. They’re generally more affordable, and while they don’t remove as many contaminants as in-line systems, they offer some protection and may be a good starting point for some households.

People may be tempted to turn to bottled water. However, many brands of bottled water are just tap water that’s been run through extra purification steps (spring water and mineral water are exceptions). This additional treatment can mean the water is very clean, but bottled water comes with significant downsides. In the U.S., only a tiny fraction of the millions of plastic bottles we use actually get recycled, with most polluting streets, rivers, and oceans. Producing those bottles uses petroleum and releases greenhouse gases, adding to climate change. Moreover, single-use plastic bottles can release endocrine-disrupting chemicals called phthalates as well as tiny plastic particles known as microplastics, especially if left in sunlight and heat.

Media Contact

Fred Mamoun

fred.mamoun@yale.edu203-436-2643

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://news.yale.edu/2025/08/13/troubled-waters-future-drinking-water-us?

Climate ChangeFuturePollutionSolutions CRISIS – Viability of Life on Earth

Global Water Crisis: Why the World Urgently Needs Water-Wise Solutions

by Mitota P. OmolereAfrica Global Commons Middle East

Earth.Org is powered by over 150 contributing writers

Global Water Crisis: Why the World Urgently Needs Water-Wise Solutions

Water is life. Yet, as the world population mushrooms and climate change intensifies droughts, over 2 billion people still lack access to clean, safe drinking water. By 2030, water scarcity could displace over 700 million people. From deadly diseases to famines, economic collapse to terrorism, the global water crisis threatens to sever the strands holding communities together. This ubiquitous yet unequally distributed resource underscores the precarious interdependence binding all nations and ecosystems and shows the urgent need for bold collective action to promote global water security and avert the humanitarian, health, economic, and political catastrophes that unchecked water stress promises.

—

The global water crisis refers to the scarcity of usable and accessible water resources across the world. Currently, nearly 703 million people lack access to water – approximately 1 in 10 people on the planet – and over 2 billion do not have safe drinking water services. The United Nations predicts that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity. With the existing climate change scenario, almost half the world’s population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030. In addition, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people. By 2030, water scarcity could displace over 700 million people.

In Africa alone, as many as 25 African countries are expected to suffer from a greater combination of increased water scarcity and water stress by 2025. Sub-Saharan regions are experiencing the worst of the crisis, with only 22-34% of populations in at least eight sub-Saharan countries having access to safe water.

Water security, or reliable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and production has become an urgent issue worldwide.

This crisis has far-reaching implications for global health, food security, education, economics, and politics. As water resources dwindle, conflicts and humanitarian issues over access to clean water will likely increase. Climate change also exacerbates water scarcity in many parts of the world. Addressing this complex and multifaceted crisis requires understanding its causes, impacts, and potential solutions across countries and communities.

You might also like: Why Global Food Security Matters in 2024

The Global Water Crisis

The global water crisis stems from a confluence of factors, including growing populations, increased water consumption, poor resource management, climate change, pollution, and lack of access due to poverty and inequality.

The world population has tripled over the last 70 years, leading to greater demand for finite freshwater resources. Agricultural, industrial, and domestic water usage have depleted groundwater in many regions faster than it can be replenished. Agriculture alone accounts for nearly 70% of global water withdrawals, often utilizing outdated irrigation systems and water-intensive crops.Climate change has significantly reduced renewable water resources in many parts of the world. Glaciers are melting, rainfall patterns have shifted, droughts and floods have intensified, and temperatures are on the rise, further exacerbating the crisis.

Baseline water stress measures the ratio of total water withdrawals to available renewable water supplies. Higher values indicate m
Baseline water stress measures the ratio of total water withdrawals to available renewable water supplies. Image: United Nations (2019).

In many less developed nations, lack of infrastructure, corruption, and inequality leave large populations without reliable access to clean water. Women and children often bear the burden of travelling distances to fetch water for households. Contamination from human waste, industrial activities, and agricultural runoff also threaten water quality and safety.

Water scarcity poses risks to health, sanitation, food production, energy generation, economic growth, and political stability worldwide. Conflicts over shared water resources are likely to intensify without concerted global action.

Case Study: Water Crisis in Gaza

The water crisis in Gaza represents one of the most severe cases of water scarcity worldwide. The small Palestinian territory relies almost entirely on the underlying coastal aquifer as its source of freshwater. However, years of excessive pumping far exceed natural recharge rates. According to the UN, 97% groundwater does not meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards for human consumption due to high salinity and nitrate levels.

The pollution of Gaza’s sole freshwater source stems from multiple factors. Rapid population growth contaminated agricultural runoff, inadequate wastewater treatment, and saltwater intrusion due to over-extraction have rendered the aquifer unusable.

 In June 2007, following the military takeover of Gaza by Hamas, the Israeli authorities significantly intensified existing movement restrictions, virtually isolating the Gaza Strip from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and the world. The blockade imposed by Israeli Authority also severely restricts infrastructure development and humanitarian aid.

The water crisis has devastated Gazan agriculture, caused widespread health issues, and crippled economic growth. Many citizens of Gaza have to buy trucked water of dubious quality, as the public network is unsafe and scarce. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reports that this water can cost up to 20 times more than the public tariff, with some households spending a third of their income or more on water. Long-term solutions require increased water supplies, wastewater reuse, desalination, and better resource management under conflict.

Case Study: Water Shortage in Africa

Africa faces some of the most pressing challenges with water security worldwide. While the continent has substantial resources, poor infrastructure, mismanagement, corruption, lack of cooperation over transboundary waters, droughts, and population pressures all contribute to African water stress.

According to a 2022 report by the WHO and UNICEF’s Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), 344 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lacked access to safely managed drinking water, and 762 million lacked access to basic sanitation in 2020. WaterAid, a non-governmental organization, explains that water resources are often far from communities due to the expansive nature of the continent, though other factors such as climate change, population growth, poor governance, and lack of infrastructure also play a role. Surface waters such as lakes and rivers evaporate rapidly in the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa, which cover about 45% of the continent’s land area. Many communities rely on limited groundwater and community water points to meet their water needs, but groundwater is not always a reliable or sustainable source, as it can be depleted, contaminated, or inaccessible due to technical or financial constraints. A 2021 study by UNICEF estimated that women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa collectively spend about 37 billion hours a year collecting water, which is equivalent to more than 1 billion hours a day.The 2023 UN World Water Development Report emphasizes the importance of partnerships and cooperation for water, food, energy, health and climate security in Africa, a region with diverse water challenges and opportunities, low water withdrawals per capita, high vulnerability to climate change, and large investment gap for water supply and sanitation.

In the Meatu District in Shinyanga, an administrative region of Tanzania, water most often comes from open holes dug in the sand of dry riverbeds and it is invariably contaminated.
In the Meatu District in Shinyanga, an administrative region of Tanzania, water most often comes from open holes dug in the sand of dry riverbeds and it is invariably contaminated.

Water security in Africa is low and uneven, with various countries facing water scarcity, poor sanitation, and water-related disasters. Transboundary conflicts over shared rivers, such as the Nile, pose additional challenges for water management. 

However, some efforts have been made to improve water security through various interventions, such as community-based initiatives, irrigation development, watershed rehabilitation, water reuse, desalination, and policy reforms. These interventions aim to enhance water availability, quality, efficiency, governance, and resilience in the face of climate change. Water security is essential for achieving sustainable development in Africa, as it affects numerous sectors, such as agriculture, health, energy, and the environment.

Other Countries with Water Shortages

Water scarcity issues plague many other parts of the world beyond Gaza and Africa. Several examples stand out:

India grapples with extensive groundwater depletion, shrinking reservoirs and glaciers, pollution from agriculture and industry, and tensions with Pakistan and China over shared rivers. Monsoons are increasingly erratic with climate change.

India water scarcity
Projections show India will be under severe water stress by the end of the decade. Image: WRI.

Other water-stressed nations include Australia, Spain, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. 

While the specifics differ, recurrent themes include unsustainable usage, climate change, pollution, lack of infrastructure, mismanagement, poverty, transboundary conflicts, and population growth pressures. But resources often exist; the challenge lies in equitable distribution, cooperation, efficiency, and sustainable practices. Multiple approaches must accommodate local conditions and transboundary disputes.

You might also like: Water Crisis in South Africa: Causes, Effects, And Solutions

Global Water Security Is at Risk

Water scarcity poses a grave threat to global security on multiple fronts. 

First, it can incite conflicts within and between nations over access rights. History contains many examples of water wars, and transboundary disputes increase the risk today in arid regions like the Middle East and North Africa.

Second, water shortages undermine food security. With agriculture consuming the greatest share of water resources, lack of irrigation threatens crops and livestock essential for sustenance and livelihoods. Food price spikes often trigger instability and migrations.

Third, water scarcity fuels public health crises, leading to social disruptions. Contaminated water spreads diseases like cholera and typhoid. Poor sanitation and hygiene due to water limitations also increase illness. The Covid-19 pandemic underscored the essential nature of water access for viral containment.

Finally, water shortages hamper economic growth and worsen poverty. Hydroelectricity, manufacturing, mining, and other water-intensive industries suffer. The World Bank estimates that by 2050, water scarcity could cost some regions 6% of gross domestic product (GDP), entrenching inequality. Climate migration strains nations. Overall, water crises destabilize societies on many levels if left unaddressed.

Solutions and Recommendations

Tackling the global water crisis requires both local and international initiatives across infrastructure, technology, governance, cooperation, education, and funding.

First, upgrading distribution systems, sewage treatment, dams, desalination, watershed restoration, and irrigation methods could improve supply reliability and quality while reducing waste. Community-based projects often succeed by empowering local stakeholders.

Second, emerging technologies like low-cost water quality sensors, affordable desalination, precision agriculture, and recyclable treatment materials could help poorer nations bridge infrastructure gaps. However, funding research and making innovations affordable remains a key obstacle.

Third, better governance through reduced corruption, privatization, metering, pricing incentives, and integrated policy frameworks could improve efficiency. But human rights must be protected by maintaining affordable minimum access.

Fourth, transboundary water-sharing treaties like those for the Nile and Mekong Rivers demonstrate that diplomacy can resolve potential conflicts. But political will is needed, along with climate change adaptation strategies.

Fifth, education and awareness can empower conservation at the individual level. Behaviour change takes time but can significantly reduce household and agricultural usage.

Finally, increased financial aid, public-private partnerships, better lending terms, and innovation prizes may help nations fund projects. Cost-benefit analyses consistently find high returns on water security investments.

In summary, sustainable solutions require combining new technologies, governance reforms, education, cooperation, and creative financing locally and globally. 

Conclusion

The global water crisis threatens the well-being of billions of people and the stability of nations worldwide. Key drivers include unsustainable usage, climate change, pollution, lack of infrastructure, poverty, weak governance, and transboundary disputes. The multiple impacts span public health, food and energy security, economic growth, and geopolitical conflicts.

While daunting, this crisis also presents opportunities for innovation, cooperation, education, and holistic solutions. With wise policies and investments, water security can be achieved in most regions to support development and peace. But action must be accelerated on both global and community levels before the stresses become overwhelming. Ultimately, our shared human dependence on clean water demands that all stakeholders work in unison to create a water-secure future.

More on the topic: Exploring the Most Efficient Solutions to Water Scarcity

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Global Water Crisis: Why the World Urgently Needs Water-Wise Solutions

Water – at the center of the climate crisis

Photocomposition: a faceut with a drop coming out of it, with a red circle behing the drop.

Climate change is exacerbating both water scarcity and water-related hazards (such as floods and droughts), as rising temperatures disrupt precipitation patterns and the entire water cycle.

Water and climate change are inextricably linked. Climate change affects the world’s water in complex ways. From unpredictable rainfall patterns to shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, floods and droughts – most impacts of climate change come down to water.

Climate change is exacerbating both water scarcity and water-related hazards (such as floods and droughts), as rising temperatures disrupt precipitation patterns and the entire water cycle.

Get more facts on climate and water below.
 

Water scarcity
 

  • Over two billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water today, and roughly half of the world’s population is experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year. These numbers are expected to increase, exacerbated by climate change and population growth.
  • Only 0.5 per cent of water on Earth is useable and available freshwater – and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply. Over the past twenty years, terrestrial water storage – including soil moisture, snow and ice – has dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year, with major ramifications for water security.
  • Melting glaciers, snow and permafrost are affecting humans and ecosystems in mid-to-high latitudes and the high-mountain regions. These changes are already impacting irrigation, hydropower, water supply, and populations depending on ice, snow and permafrost.
  • Climate change is one of the key drivers of the loss and degradation of freshwater ecosystems and the unprecedented decline and extinction of many freshwater-dependent populations, particularly due to land use and pollution.
  • Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C would approximately halve the proportion of the world population expected to suffer water scarcity, although there is considerable variability between regions.
  • Water quality is also affected by climate change, as higher water temperatures and more frequent floods and droughts are projected to exacerbate many forms of water pollution – from sediments to pathogens and pesticides.
  • Climate change, population growth and increasing water scarcity will put pressure on food supply as most of the freshwater used, about 70 per cent on average, is used for agriculture (it takes between 2000 and 5000 liters of water to produce a person’s daily food).

 Photocomposition: a dry tree in a dry soil, with the word drought written in bold big letters at the background.

Water-related hazards
 

  • Climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods and droughts more likely and more severe.
  • Rising global temperatures increase the moisture the atmosphere can hold, resulting in more storms and heavy rains, but paradoxically also more intense dry spells as more water evaporates from the land and global weather patterns change.
  • Annual mean precipitation is increasing in many regions worldwide and decreasing over a smaller area, particularly in the tropics.
  • Climate change has increased the likelihood of extreme precipitation events and the associated increase in the frequency and magnitude of river floods.
  • Climate change has also 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.
  • Drought and flood risks, and associated societal damages, are projected to further increase with every degree of global warming.
  • Water-related disasters have dominated the list of disasters over the past 50 years and account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters.
  • Since 2000, flood-related disasters have risen by 134 per cent compared with the two previous decades. Most of the flood-related deaths and economic losses were recorded in Asia. The number and duration of droughts also increased by 29 per cent over this same period. Most drought-related deaths occurred in Africa.

 Photocomposition: a house on the left, with a lot of water in the bottom of the image. The word floods is written in big bold white letters at the front of both illustrations.

Water solutions
 

  • Healthy aquatic ecosystems and improved water management can lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide protection against climate hazards.
  • Wetlands such as mangroves, seagrasses, marshes and swamps are highly effective carbon sinks that absorb and store CO2, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Wetlands also serve as a buffer against extreme weather events. They provide a natural shield against storm surges and absorb excess water and precipitation. Through the plants and microorganisms that they house, wetlands also provide water storage and purification.
  • Early warning systems for floods, droughts and other water-related hazards provide a more than tenfold return on investment and can significantly reduce disaster risk: a 24-hour warning of a coming storm can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent.
  • Water supply and sanitation systems that can withstand climate change could save the lives of more than 360,000 infants every year.
  • Climate-smart agriculture using drip irrigation and other means of using water more efficiently can help reduce demand on freshwater supplies.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/water?

Water scarcity

Addressing the growing lack of available water to meet children’s needs.

In Djibouti, water is as precious as it is scarce. Since the drought started in 2007, rainfall has dramatically reduced and water levels in traditional wells have dropped forcing women and children to walk long distances for water.
UNICEF/UN0199521/Noorani

Jump to

Even in countries with adequate water resources, water scarcity is not uncommon. Although this may be due to a number of factors — collapsed infrastructure and distribution systems, contamination, conflict, or poor management of water resources — it is clear that climate change, as well as human factors, are increasingly denying children their right to safe water and sanitation.

Water scarcity limits access to safe water for drinking and for practising basic hygiene at home, in schools and in health-care facilities. When water is scarce, sewage systems can fail and the threat of contracting diseases like cholera surges. Scarce water also becomes more expensive.

Water scarcity takes a greater toll on women and children because they are often the ones responsible for collecting it. When water is further away, it requires more time to collect, which often means less time at school. Particularly for girls, a shortage of water in schools impacts student enrolment, attendance and performance. Carrying water long distances is also an enormous physical burden and can expose children to safety risks and exploitation.

Early in the morning, children go to fetch water at the nearest water point, 15 kilometres away from their home in Tchadi village.
UNICEF/UNI315914/Haro Niger, 2020. Early in the morning, children go to the nearest water point to fetch water, 15 kilometres away from their home in Tchadi village.

Key facts

  • Four billion people — almost two thirds of the world’s population —  experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
  • Over two billion people live in countries where water supply is inadequate.
  • Half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025.
  • Some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
  • By 2040, roughly 1 in 4 children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.

UNICEF’s response

As the factors driving water scarcity are complex and vary widely across countries and regions, UNICEF works at multiple levels to introduce context-specific technologies that increase access to safe water and address the impacts of water scarcity. We focus on:

Identifying new water resources: We assess the availability of water resources using various technologies, including remote sensing and geophysical surveys and field investigations.

Improving the efficiency of water resources: We rehabilitate urban water distribution networks and treatment systems to reduce water leakage and contamination, promoting wastewater reuse for agriculture to protect groundwater.

Planning for urban scarcity: We plan for future water needs by identifying available resources to reduce the risk of cities running out of water.

Expanding technologies to ensure climate resilience: We support and develop climate-resilient water sources, including the use of deeper groundwater reserves through solar-powered water networks. We also advance water storage through small-scale retention structures, managed aquifer recharge (where water is pumped into underground reserves to improve its quality), and rainwater harvesting.

Changing behaviours: We work with schools and communities to promote an understanding of the value of water and the importance of its protection, including by supporting environmental clubs in schools.

Planning national water needs: We work with key stakeholders at national and sub-national levels to understand the water requirements for domestic use and for health and sanitation, and advocate to ensure that this is reflected in national planning considerations.

Supporting the WASH sector: We develop technical guidance, manuals and online training programmes for WASH practitioners to improve standards for water access.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.unicef.org/wash/water-scarcity?

1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water – WHO, UNICEF

Departmental update

Reading time: 3 min (828 words)

To mark World Water Week 2025, new report highlights persistent inequalities, with vulnerable communities left behind.

Despite progress over the last decade, billions of people around the world still lack access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, putting them at risk of disease and deeper social exclusion.

A new report: Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: special focus on inequalities –launched by WHO and UNICEF during World Water Week 2025 – reveals that, while some progress has been made, major gaps persist. People living in low-income countries, fragile contexts, rural communities, children, and minority ethnic and indigenous groups face the greatest disparities.

Ten key facts from the report:

  • Despite gains since 2015, 1 in 4 – or 2.1 billion people globally – still lack access to safely managed drinking water*, including 106 million who drink directly from untreated surface sources.
  • 3.4 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation, including 354 million who practice open defecation.
  • 1.7 billion people still lack basic hygiene services at home, including 611 million without access to any facilities.
  • People in least developed countries are more than twice as likely as people in other countries to lack basic drinking water and sanitation services, and more than three times as likely to lack basic hygiene.
  • In fragile contexts**, safely managed drinking water coverage is 38 percentage points lower than in other countries, highlighting stark inequalities.
  • While there have been improvements for people living in rural areas, they still lag behind. Safely managed drinking water coverage rose from 50 per cent to 60 per cent between 2015 and 2024, and basic hygiene coverage from 52 per cent to 71 per cent. In contrast, drinking water and hygiene coverage in urban areas has stagnated.
  • Data from 70 countries show that while most women and adolescent girls have menstrual materials and a private place to change, many lack sufficient materials to change as often as needed.
  • Adolescent girls aged 15–19 are less likely than adult women to participate in activities during menstruation, such as school, work and social pastimes.
  • In most countries with available data, women and girls are primarily responsible for water collection, with many in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia spending more than 30 minutes per day collecting water.
  • As we approach the last five years of the Sustainable Development Goals period, achieving the 2030 targets for ending open defecation and universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services will require acceleration, while universal coverage of safely managed services appears increasingly out of reach.

“Water, sanitation and hygiene are not privileges, they are basic human rights,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i, Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization. “We must accelerate action, especially for the most marginalized communities, if we are to keep our promise to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“When children lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, their health, education, and futures are put at risk,” said Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF Director of WASH. “These inequalities are especially stark for girls, who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation. At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach – reminding us that we must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most.”

Notes for editors:

Download the full report

Multimedia material is available here

This latest update – produced by WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) – provides new national, regional and global estimates for water, sanitation and hygiene services in households from 2000 until 2024. The report also includes expanded data on menstrual health for 70 countries, revealing challenges that affect women and girls across all income levels.

The report is being launched during World Water Week 24-28 August 2025, the leading annual conference on global water issues, and bringing together stakeholders from across sectors to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

____________________________ 

*JMP definition of ‘Safely managed drinking water and sanitation services’: Drinking water from sources located on premises, free from contamination and available when needed, and using hygienic toilets from which wastes are treated and disposed of safely.

**Fragile contexts: Fragility, according to the OECD, is the combination of exposure to risk and insufficient coping capacities of the state, system and/or communities to manage, absorb or mitigate those risks. It occurs in a spectrum of intensity across six dimensions: economic, environmental, human, political, security and societal.

About the JMP
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) was established in 1990 and has been tracking global progress for 35 years. It is responsible for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal targets 1.4, 6.1 and 6.2, which call for universal access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene and the elimination of open defecation by 2030.

For more information, please contact:

WHO: mediainquiries@who.int
UNICEF: Iris Bano Romero | UNICEF New York | +1 9178048093 | ibano@unicef.org

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.who.int/news/item/26-08-2025-1-in-4-people-globally-still-lack-access-to-safe-drinking-water—who–unicef?

Drinking Water Inspectorate ordered action over ‘forever chemicals’ risk 

Analysis finds regulator for England and Wales raised issues with untreated water at facilities serving millions

Rachel Salvidge

The drinking water watchdog for England and Wales has ordered companies to act after “forever chemicals” linked to cancer and other conditions were found in untreated water sources at levels it said “could constitute a potential danger to human health”.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a group of manmade chemicals used for their waterproof and grease-resistant properties. These forever chemicals persist in the environment, can build up in the body and some have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and fertility problems. Two of the most notorious, PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) are now banned after being classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization.

PFAS foam gathers at the the Van Etten Creek dam in Oscoda township, Michigan, near Wurtsmith Air Force Base.

An analysis of Drinking WaterInspectorate (DWI) data by Watershed Investigations and the BBC found that the regulator had flagged Pfas issues in untreated water at hundreds of water treatment works, reservoirs, boreholes and supply systems serving more than 6 million people. The true number of people potentially affected will be much higher, as population data was not available for all the affected sites.

The analysis reported that water companies who have been ordered to improve their assets because of Pfas contamination include Anglian Water, where untreated supplies serving 4.2 million people are affected, and Wessex Water, serving 1.2 million.

Severn Trent Water, South Staffordshire Water and South West Water, who serve hundreds of thousands of customers, have also been told to act. Affinity Water has five waterworks at risk and United Utilities has two, but the number of people whose supplies may be affected by these could not be determined.

Some DWI notices cite “inadequate treatment process to remove Pfas”, while others warn of “increasing Pfas levels” that could breach the DWI’s safety limits. The regulator has given the companies deadlines to reduce the risk, typically by stepping up Pfas monitoring, improving treatment processes, or blending contaminated supplies with cleaner water from other sources to lower concentrations.

Major Pfas pollution sources include airports, military sites, chemical manufacturers, sewage treatment plants, fire stations, metal and paper mills, leather and textile factories, energy facilities, and waste sites such as landfills. Pfas-laden sewage sludge spread on farmland can also taint soil and water, and Pfas are used in pesticides as both an active agent and a spreading agent. An Environment Agency report estimated up to 10,000 potential hotspots nationwide.

Affinity Water, which supplies parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and several London boroughs, has been served notices relating to the banned carcinogens PFOS and PFOA.

Affinity’s sites in Holywell, Baldock and Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, and Ardleigh in Essex, have been flagged for PFOS, while water at the Blackford works in Hillingdon is at risk from PFOA. The water company has until 2029 to either blend the contaminated supplies with cleaner water or install better filtration at their works.

Pfas has been found to be a risk in South Staffordshire Water’s supplies in Cambridgeshire, with contamination from fire-fighting foams at Duxford airfield thought to be one likely source. Severn Trent Water’s Cropston works are at risk from rising Pfas levels, while all of South West Water’s affected supplies are located in the Isles of Scilly, and United Utilities has has Pfas notices served against two of its works – one for Royal Oak in Southport and the other for Wickenhall.

Since 2007, the UK’s Pfas limits in drinking water have dropped dramatically. Initially set at 10,000 nanograms/l for PFOA and 1,000 ng/l for PFOS, the PFOA limit fell to 5,000 ng/l in 2009, and by 2021 both were reduced to 100 ng/l amid emerging toxicity evidence. In January, pressure from experts led the DWI to cap the total of 48 Pfas types at 100 ng/l.

Prof Hans Peter Arp, a Pfas expert, said the UK’s contamination problem was “large but by no means unique,” noting that “Pfas has seeped into drinking water supply zones around the world for over 50 years”. He explained that drinking water limits were only introduced about 25 years ago, initially covering just a few compounds like PFOA and PFOS, and are “not protective enough”.

Arp contrasted the UK’s former limit of 10,000 ng/l for PFOA in 2007 with Denmark’s much stricter current standard of 2 ng/l for a group of four Pfas, calling it “a decrease by more than 5,000”. He warned that “there is likely a portion of the population that has been affected” and said tackling Pfas will require upgrading treatment technology, including “nanofiltration or ion exchange resins”, as well as preventing future emissions and cleaning up contaminated soil and groundwater.

The cost of cleaning up Pfas has been estimated at £1.6tn across the UK and Europe over a 20-year period, an annual bill of £84bn.

A Water UK spokesperson said Pfas pollution was “a huge global challenge” and called for the chemicals to be banned and for “a national plan to remove it from the environment – which should be paid for by manufacturers”.

They added: “All water companies have to meet stringent government standards and testing, including on Pfas, so we can all have complete confidence in the quality of our tap water whenever and wherever we use it.”

The EU is considering a wide-ranging restriction across thousands of Pfas but industry is pushing back hard and the UK does not have plans to follow suit.

A government spokesperson said UK drinking water was “of an exceptionally high standard and among the best in the world”. They added: “Water companies must conduct rigorous tests and sampling, and there is no evidence that water from consumer taps exceeds the safe levels of Pfas, as set by the DWI in 2021.”

They said £2bn in private-sector investment had been committed “to further improving drinking water quality, including tackling Pfas and replacing the remaining lead pipes in the network”.

Dr Shubhi Sharma of Chem Trust said: “Drinking water is a major source of Pfas exposure. The current UK standards for Pfas in drinking water are not protective enough. The UK government needs to match the EU and bring in stringent thresholds.”

She added that removing Pfas from supplies was “astronomically expensive” and urged ministers to apply the polluter-pays principle “so that chemical companies are paying these costs and not the public through their water … what we really need is to turn off the Pfas pollution tap at the source by urgently stopping the production and use of these forever toxic chemicals. Just focusing on cleaning up Pfas pollution is only a very expensive sticking plaster”.

CLICK HERE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/03/drinking-water-inspectorate-ordered-action-over-forever-chemicals-risk?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The Stream, November 11, 2025: America’s Water Infrastructure Needs $3.4 Trillion Investment, Report Warns

by Christian Thorsberg

Give Water a Voice

Your support helps inform the world’s most important decisions about water and all that it touches.One-timeMonthlyAnnually$7$15$30OtherDonate Now

Circle of Blue
Fishermen cast their nets at sunrise on the Mekong River south of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue

Global Rundown

  • A new report on the economic importance of a strong water sector forecasts that America will need to invest $3.4 trillion over the next 20 years to modernize its infrastructure. 
  • As Iran’s water crisis continues, dams in the country’s second-largest city, Mashhad, have dwindled to less than 3 percent capacity.
  • Millions of people in Niger, Nigeria, and Ghana are at high risk of surface water contamination and loss as a result of deforestation, a new report indicates. 
  • The over-extraction of sand from Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, Asia’s largest lake and a crucial Mekong River source, threatens to shrink its wet-season size by up to 40 percent.

The Lead

For every 1,000 hectares of forest cleared in Niger and Nigeria, almost 10 hectares of surface water disappear, according to a study released this month from Water Aid and Tree Aid, two international NGOs.

The links between deforestation and worsening water crises in West Africa are clear, the report shows. Across Ghana, Niger, and Nigeria, 122 million people live in areas of high surface water risk as a direct result of deforestation — a 5 million-person increase in five years. Nigeria alone, which loses 27,000 hectares of vegetation cover annually, accounts for 70 percent of this vulnerable population. 

In Niger, the impacts of deforestation are particularly dire. Tree loss imperils nearly all the country’s available freshwater sources. In the primarily arid and semi-arid country, climate change is giving rise to a pronounced “more drought, more flood” phenomenon. Without forests to filter and absorb excess water, storms – when they do arrive – are falling increasingly in extreme bursts, resulting in runoff, contamination, and infrastructure damage. But there is also hope. Of the three countries studied, Niger is the only one to achieve a net gain in forest cover since 2013, adding more than 100,000 hectares.

Recent WaterNews from Circle of Blue

This Week’s Top Water Stories, Told In Numbers

$1 million

When invested into water infrastructure in America, it yields $2.5 million in economic output, according to a report released last week by the nonprofit U.S. Water Alliance. What’s more, that $1 million provides 10 jobs, $837,000 in labor income, and $1.4 million in GDP.

The publication, a centerpiece of the organization’s Value of Water campaign, links the country’s financial health with sound water investments — a relationship that is strained by widespread underinvestment, it warns. Over the next 20 years, the report estimates that America will need to spend roughly $3.4 trillion to modernize and repair its aging wastewater, treatment, and stormwater facilities. The problem is comparatively worse in rural communities, which face greater needs per-capita than urban areas in 80 percent of states. 

Per capita, these investments would have the greatest impact in North Dakota, Iowa, Louisiana, West Virginia, Vermont, and New Hampshire. 

“Clean water utilities are on the frontlines of protecting public health and the environment. This report affirms what we have long known — that closing the investment gap will not only safeguard clean water, but also strengthen the entire U.S. economy,” Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, said in the report.

In context: After Decades of Neglect, Bill Coming Due for Michigan’s Water Infrastructure

40 percent

Amount by which the wet season-size of Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Asia, will shrink by 2038 if local mining continues at its current pace, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature Sustainability. A rising demand for sand, used to make concrete and glass, has led to increased dredging in the Cambodian lake, which drains for half of the year into the Mekong River, supporting its southern flow. But during the rainy summer months of May through October, rising water levels in the Mekong reverse this trend, and Tonle Sap pulses, “expanding the lake’s surface area by 4 to 6 times and swelling its water volume to 80 cubic kilometers,” Science reports. This dynamic supports some of the world’s most biodiverse riparian, lake, and wetland habitat, and the livelihoods and cultural identities of some 60 million people who live along the Mekong’s shores. In the absence of strong, nutrient-rich pulses, fisheries and water supplies are at risk of collapse.

According to Science, sand is the world’s second most-exploited resource, “often extracted from riverbeds or shores.” Water is the most exploited. Both Cambodia and Vietnam have banned sand export, though its mining from the Mekong watershed continues, to the detriment of its health and local human communities, flora, and fauna.

In Context: Can the Mekong, the World’s Most Productive River, Endure Relentless Strain?

On the Radar

As the Tehran metropolitan area — home to nearly 18 million people — nears a potential Day Zero scenario within two weeks, Iran’s second-largest city is also facing acute water shortages amid widespread drought, exacerbated by mismanagement. 

The water levels in dams in Mashhad, population 4 million, have dwindled to less than 3 percent capacity, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The city’s water consumption has been measured at roughly 8,000 liters per second, “of which about 1,000 to 1,500 litres per second is supplied from the dams,” Hossein Esmaeilian, the chief executive of Mashhad’s water company, told AFP. Residents are urged to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent, he said. 

Tehran officials admitted this week that water rationing began too late in the capital, a failure that may now lead to forced evacuations, according to Iran International. The country’s central plateau may be depopulated as a result of “a chronic disconnect between scientists, industry, and government agencies.” Already, residents of villages and rural regions have abandoned their land amid shortages and migrated toward city centers, further straining limited reservoir supplies.

Wetland Watch

MARSH Project: Near the historic downtown of Charleston, South Carolina, a grassroots effort to preserve important salt marshes along the Ashley River — installed amid rollbacks to the Clean Water Act — has proved successful in mitigating floods, the Associated Press reports. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Stream, November 11, 2025: America’s Water Infrastructure Needs $3.4 Trillion Investment, Report Warns

MEDIA ADVISORY: DC Water To Launch Pure Water DC, A Major Initiative To Develop A Second Source Of Drinking Water

Pure Water DC Logo with DC Water Logo and the text Pure Water DC Launch over graphic image of water

On November 19, DC Water will launch an ambitious effort – Pure Water DC – to reduce the District’s reliance on the Potomac River as its only water source. We’ll be hosting an event to outline our vision and strategy for resilience and host an expert panel to address one of the most critical challenges facing the nation’s capital.

Any disruption to the Potomac or Washington Aqueduct—whether from contamination, drought, or infrastructure failure—would have catastrophic consequences for public health, the economy, and national security.

Pure Water DC seeks to mitigate that risk through a comprehensive program to strengthen water supply resilience and explore a second source of water for the District. This initiative represents a major investment and a regional call to action, inviting collaboration among utilities, agencies, and stakeholders to secure a drought-proof future.

EVENT DETAILS

What: 
Launch of Pure Water DC Program, unveiling the vision and strategy for water supply resilience, followed by an expert panel discussion.

When: 
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: 
DC Water Headquarters 
1385 Canal Street SE 
Washington, DC 20003

Who: 
DC Water leadership, regional water utilities, environmental agencies, and federal partners including:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • District Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
  • Water Environment Federation (WEF)
  • Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB)
  • WSSC Water
  • Greater Washington Board of Trade

Pure Water DC is DC Water’s commitment to lead the region toward a more resilient water future. The program will explore several options, including:

  • Safeguard our existing source and optimize the distribution system.
  • Add local storage and align with regional emergency storage efforts.
  • Explore advanced water reuse from Blue Plains as a drought-proof, cost-effective second source.

DC Water has committed $21 million over three years to fund studies, pilot projects, and public engagement, including the creation of the Pure Water DC Discovery Center at Blue Plains. This facility will test purification technologies, support regulatory research, and educate the public about water resilience.

The stakes are high: a major disruption could cost the region $15 billion in the first month alone.

Media should RSVP by Tuesday, November 18, at noon to Sherri Lewis at sherri.lewis@dcwater.com to attend and learn more about the new initiative, and next steps to create a more resilient water supply.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/news/media-advisory-dc-water-launch-pure-water-dc-major-initiative-develop?

Pitt researchers reveal hidden impacts of drinking-water treatment on urban streams

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Urban water phosphorus subsidies
IMAGE: IMAGE SHOWING FLOW OF WATER AND TREATED WATER.view more CREDIT: PLOS WATER, ET. AL.

University of Pittsburgh Researchers Reveal Hidden Impacts of Drinking Water Treatment on Urban Streams

Aging lead-pipe drinking water systems, along with the public health measures implemented to reduce their risks, are reshaping the chemistry and health of nearby urban streams. New research from University of Pittsburgh biogeochemists, hydrologists, and environmental engineers uncovered previously overlooked environmental impacts of a common water treatment practice: adding orthophosphate to drinking water systems to prevent lead pipe corrosion. Published in PLOS Water, the study reveals that phosphate used in drinking water treatment can leak into urban streams, altering their chemistry and potentially accelerating eutrophication, the process where such nutrients lead to excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants..

And such lead-pipe networks are widespread throughout the Northeast, Great Lakes region and Midwest — meaning as many as 20 million Americans and their nearby streams may face similar challenges.

In collaboration with local water authorities, the scientists studied five urban streams to look for changes in the pre- and post-implementation of orthophosphate-based corrosion control on stream chemistry. Their findings show statistically significant increases in phosphorus and metal concentrations in streamwater following the treatment, indicating that subsurface infrastructure is not a closed system. Phosphorus concentrations in urban streams increased by over 600% following orthophosphate dosing, while trace metals such as copper, iron, and manganese also rose by nearly 3,500%, suggesting co-transport of corrosion byproducts.  

“We were surprised by how clearly the effects of drinking water treatment appeared in stream chemistry. This finding suggests that our underground infrastructure isn’t as sealed off from the environment as we often assume,” said first author Dr. Anusha Balangoda, Assistant Teaching Professor in Geology and Environmental Science in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. “Our study is the first to examine urban stream chemistry and the influence of drinking-water additives.”

“We absolutely need to protect people from lead in drinking water,” said co-author Dr. Emily Elliott, co-founder and chair of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and professor in Geology and Environmental Science. “But we also need to understand how these treatments affect our rivers and ecosystems.” Elliott collaborated with co-authors Sarah-Jane-Haig, an associate professor, and Isaiah Spencer-Williams, a doctoral student, both also in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Their paper, titled “From Pipes to Streams: The Hidden Influence of Orthophosphate Additions on Urban Waterways,” was published November 13 in PLOS Water.

Public-health emergencies arising from corroded, lead-water pipes are nothing new— contaminations have made the news in the past decade in Flint, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and more recently in the study area of Pittsburgh. Phosphate corrosion inhibitors are used in water systems across North America, the United Kingdom, and parts of Europe. The researchers noted that the potential ecological consequences of this dosing of drinking-water system pipes does to streams, rivers, and groundwater remain “largely unexplored, particularly in the U.S.”

The study examined a pathway of phosphorus pollution that has received little attention: leakage from drinking water pipes rather than traditional sources like wastewater discharge or industrial runoff. The researchers monitored five above-ground urban stream reaches, selecting these because most Pittsburgh streams are buried in an underground pipe network, and collected detailed water chemistry samples monthly over a two-year period spanning before, during, and after orthophosphate treatment implementation (February 2019 to June 2020). They also conducted nutrient addition bioassays at three key time points, using both streamwater and tap water controls, to assess the ecological impacts on algal growth.

The scientists offer four corrective actions to address phosphate leakage from buried water infrastructure systems: 

1. Repair Aging Infrastructure. Urgently address the issue of drinking water pipe networks losing 40-50% of treated water through leaks and breaks, thereby preventing phosphate-enriched water from reaching urban streams and groundwater.

2. Upgrade Wastewater Treatment. Implement tertiary treatment processes at wastewater treatment plants to remove excess phosphorus. The study shows effluent phosphorus increased 26% after dosing began, yet many plants lack phosphorus removal capabilities that can achieve an 80-99% reduction.

3. Optimize Dosing Concentrations. Determine the minimum effective orthophosphate concentration that protects human health from lead exposure while minimizing ecological harm to receiving waters.

4. Develop Innovative Approaches to Monitor Infrastructure-Ecosystem Interactions. Create new monitoring and assessment methods to understand how additives in drinking water systems reach and affect urban streams through subsurface connections. 

“Pittsburgh isn’t unique—millions of Americans are served by water systems with lead pipes and aging infrastructure,” Elliott said. “Our findings suggest this issue extends far beyond one city, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast where both lead pipes and phosphate treatment are common. We need a national conversation about infrastructure and water quality.”

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation RAPID funding program (grant NSF No. 1929843), as well as the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority contributed drinking water sample collection, chemical analysis and water treatment information.

# # #

JOURNAL

PLOS Water

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

From Pipes to Streams: The Hidden Influence of 2 Orthophosphate Additions on Urban Waterways

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

13-Nov-2025

COI STATEMENT

None

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1105929?