Today: Argentina, China, Ethiopia, France, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, PFAS, Privatisation, PublicWater, Right2Water, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Uganda, US, WASH, Water&Climate, WaterCrisis
Every day the most important news on water and sanitation from around the world, compiled by the Blue Community Network, defending water as a common, public good and a human right.
Italy: The ‘Water and Common Goods’ committee has been set up in Fabrica di Roma, Viterbo
The ‘Water and Common Goods’ Committee is a non-partisan, non-denominational and non-profit initiative, promoted by citizens who are determined to protect collective rights. Particular attention is given to ensuring access to public, drinkable and guaranteed water for all, as well as protecting the environment and urban decorum.
Tuscia Times and onTuscia (Italian) / Italy – WaterJustice
Uganda breaks new ground by prioritizing water and sanitation in climate plans
Uganda breaks new ground by prioritizing water and sanitation in climate plansThe East African country is the first to develop a water and sanitation-specific National Adaptation Plan.
In 2022, Uganda included climate priorities on water and sanitation in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Now they’re finalizing what is expected to be the world’s first water and sanitation-specific National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Sanitation and Water for All / Uganda – Water&Climate – WASH
Catalonia, Spain: Public or private management? The water map of Baix Empordà
Catalonia, Spain: Public or private management? The water map of Baix EmpordàIn Catalonia there are four types of water management concessions; through a public company, a private company, a mixed company or a cooperative. Currently, in the Principality, 545 municipalities manage water publicly, in 394 localities the water service is in private hands, 45 towns through a public-private company and one locality, Olesa de Montserrat, through a cooperative.
Iranians asked to limit water use as temperatures hit 50C and reservoirs are depleted
Iranians asked to limit water use as temperatures hit 50C and reservoirs are depletedPublic holiday announced in Tehran as government tries to grapple with deepening water crisis.
Iranian authorities have asked people to limit water consumption amid severe heatwaves and a water crisis across the country.
Iran is experiencing its hottest week of the year, according to the national meteorological service, with temperatures exceeding 50C in some areas.
Ethiopia: Sanitation, Hygiene for a Healthy Citizenry
Ethiopia: Sanitation, Hygiene for a Healthy CitizenryIt is well comprehended that sanitation and hygiene are crucial for preventing disease, promoting health, and improving quality of life. These crucial elements embrace personal and environmental cleanliness practices that minimize the spread of harmful pathogens, contaminated disorders, and other related aspects.
Taking this very fact into account, The Ethiopian Herald talked to Mezmure Yohannes, an environmentalist, graduated in Environmental Science from Addis Ababa University, to have professional viewpoints about hygiene and sanitation and other related matters.
South Africa: Limpopo villagers block road to protest three-month water outage
South Africa: Limpopo villagers block road to protest three-month water outageMopani District Municipality says it is using tankers for Ga-Sekgopo while it awaits approval for a water infrastructure grant.
Villagers from Ga-Sekgopo, Lehlareng section outside Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo, took to the streets on Monday to protest about a prolonged water outage. They said their taps have been dry for the past three months, and Mopani District Municipality has failed to explain why.
China Breaks Ground on Colossal Dam Project in Asia’s Grand Canyon
China Breaks Ground on Colossal Dam Project in Asia’s Grand CanyonChina has begun construction on a massive dam project in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Tibet, the longest and deepest canyon in the world. Experts fear the impact on wildlife in the river gorge, which is home to snow leopards and Bengal tigers, as well as some of the tallest and oldest trees in Asia.
Argentina: Privatisation of AySA. Milei authorises water cuts for non-payment.
Argentina: Privatisation of AySA. Milei authorises water cuts for non-payment.The government published the DNU (Decree of Necessity and Urgency), which allows the sale of AySA shares and the entry of private capital into the company. Within this framework, the existing ban on interrupting services to households with unpaid bills has been removed. The new concessionaire will be able to increase rates quarterly and introduce additional surcharges.
Pagina12 (Spanish) / Argentina – Privatisation
Danger: Milei threatens our human right to clean drinking water and sanitation. He intends to privatise AYSA.
Danger: Milei threatens our human right to clean drinking water and sanitation. He intends to privatise AYSA.Access to water is no longer a human right and is becoming a commodity for those who can afford it.
Decree 493/2025, issued by the National Executive Branch in Buenos Aires on 21 July 2025, was published today. It modifies the AySA Property Regime by replacing Article 2 of Decree No. 304/06, which originally stated that the National Government’s stake in AySA was non-transferable. This enables the company to be sold either wholly or in part.
A historic victory for Chivilcoy! The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the right to arsenic-free drinking water.
Recognition of this right took a decade of struggle, but the persistence of local residents has paid off.
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of the Province of Buenos Aires definitively rejected the complaint filed by Aguas Bonaerenses S.A. (ABSA). This confirms the company’s obligation to provide residents of Chivilcoy with drinking water containing less than 10 µg/L of arsenic, as required by the Argentine Food Code. This decision marks a crucial milestone in defending the human right to safe water.
Mexico: Tuxtla on the brink of collapse due to a drinking water crisis
Mexico: Tuxtla on the brink of collapse due to a drinking water crisisDespite being surrounded by rivers, Tuxtla Gutiérrez is currently experiencing one of the worst water crises in its history. In addition to the shortage, problems with water quality and inoperative plants, as well as constant power outages, have exacerbated the situation in the capital of the state of Chiapas and other regions.
Juan Luis Paniagua, the director of the Municipal Drinking Water and Sewerage System (SMAPA), revealed that several of the seven operating plants in the city are facing severe technical problems. “The turbidity of the water has reached 13,000 NTU, whereas the ideal level is 1,500. At those levels, the plants simply stop working,” he explained.
East Africa on the edge as record droughts break climate and humanitarian systems
East Africa on the edge as record droughts break climate and humanitarian systemsEastern and Southern Africa are grappling with an escalating climate emergency that has outpaced both regional resilience and global attention.
A new United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) report paints a sobering picture: prolonged droughts, driven by La Niña and exacerbated by structural vulnerabilities, are pushing millions toward starvation, displacement, and societal breakdown.
US: PFAS Levels in Tap Water for 73 Million People in U.S. Exceed EPA Thresholds – NRDC Report
US: PFAS Levels in Tap Water for 73 Million People in U.S. Exceed EPA Thresholds – NRDC ReportDespite Contamination, EPA Now Pushing to Weaken Water Standards.
According to new map data from Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), more than 73 million people living in the U.S. are exposed to tap water with toxic levels of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Morocco: The drinking water crisis is worsening in several rural provinces.
Morocco: The drinking water crisis is worsening in several rural provinces.Large parts of the country are currently experiencing a worrying water shortage. In many rural areas, people are facing real difficulties accessing this vital resource. Entire families are forced to travel long distances and wait in queues for hours to obtain enough water to meet their basic needs.
France: ‘Water for All’ policy. Six new water fountains to be installed in Lyon and Villeurbanne
France: ‘Water for All’ policy. Six new water fountains to be installed in Lyon and VilleurbanneAs part of the ‘Water for All’ policy, new water fountains will be trialled in Lyon and Villeurbanne. The aim is to guarantee access to drinking water for all residents, particularly during heatwaves.
In response to the increasing frequency of heatwaves and the demand for water in public spaces, Eau du Grand Lyon and the Lyon Metropolitan Area have opened a new drinking fountain on Place du 8 Mai 1945 in the 8^(th) arrondissement. This is only the first of many.
UK: Who will pay for the failure of water bosses? Everyone but them
UK: Who will pay for the failure of water bosses? Everyone but themA harder rain needs to fall on those responsible for the water crisis. Let Thames Water fail – it doesn’t deserve a bailout.
In a bone dry summer, every drop of water counts. So, even though the rain is finally falling again now, it’s still hard to take it for granted, or to ignore the way that everything in the countryside still feels unnervingly out of rhythm: earth too cracked, grass too bleached, wheat harvest being brought in too early, rivers too low – and, knowing what Thames Water has been pumping into them, water quite possibly too dirty to cool off in.
