Drinking Water
From “forever chemicals” and lead to microplastics and saltwater intrusion, numerous factors are impacting the quality of municipal drinking water. Cities around the world—from Cape Town, South Africa to Flint, Michigan—have faced major water quality challenges in recent years. Regulators are stepping up efforts to address contaminants like PFAS and lead in drinking water. The European Union’s European Chemical Agency has launched an evaluation to review a proposal for restricting the use of PFAS in drinking water. Water scarcity, drought, and leakage management are also pressing issues on the drinking water side, underscoring the need for innovative solutions to ensure a sustainable and secure water supply.
Recent Analysis
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Harmful Algal Blooms:
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EU Struggles to Enforce Wastewater Regulations While Expanding Scope
3M Windfall for Impacted PFAS Water Systems
Read more research on water quality
Key Research Questions
How will PFAS regulations impact opportunities in the water sector?
Will the Trump administration mean the end of lead service line remediation?
How are digital technologies reducing leakage management?
Drinking Water Data
2.2 billion
people lack safely managed drinking water
703 million
people have no basic access to drinking water
43%
of U.S. community water systems violated at least one drinking water standard in FY 2002
2030
target year for universal access to safe drinking water under SDG 6
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