Deep Dive
Where Centralised Wastewater Treatment Stops Paying
A study of 10,826 Chinese treatment plants finds that big centralised systems are reaching two limits at once, on easing water scarcity and on paying their way, and that a hybrid model could do the job for up to 37% less.
Who Gets the Water? FAO's Draft Principles
FAO has published draft principles on who may use water and on what terms, a quiet piece of international work that speaks directly to this year's fights over drought, wells and free irrigation.
AI's Water Demand Could Double by 2030
A new report projects data centres' water footprint reaching 9.32 trillion litres by 2030, but the number is only meaningful once you know what it counts, and who is making the case.
Only Rainwater Into Windermere: What It Would Cost
An English coalition has costed what it would take to keep every drop of wastewater out of England's largest lake, £3.6–3.7 billion, and its modelling says nothing less ends harmful algal blooms.
A Record Number of Water Conflicts Are Hitting the World
According to new data presented at Stockholm's World Water Week, water is increasingly becoming a weapon of war, from Gaza and Sudan to Ukraine.
Neglected Drinking Water Networks in ‘Model’ Europe
As severe drought grips the whole of Europe, many countries are using water tankers to make up for lost drinking water supplies. This also shows that Europe was caught unprepared by the weather – and that its drinking water systems have been neglected for decades.
When the Cooling Water and the Power Run Out
Low water on the Danube nearly shut down Hungary's Paks nuclear plant, and the Iberian blackout showed how fragile Europe's grid is.
Europe Is Drying Up
Record-low river levels and a structural water shortage building up for years are hitting the continent from Hungary to Spain.
PFAS Ban Takes Effect in Packaging
From 12 August 2026, PFAS-coated pizza boxes, paper cups and greaseproof papers will disappear from the shelves because of tightening concentration limits – transforming the daily business of the food and packaging industries and, indirectly, the water sector.
What Festivals Leave Behind in the Water
International research shows what traces large waterside events leave in lakes and rivers.