Today: Afghanistan, Aotearoa-NewZealand, BottledWater, China, Cholera, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, India, Iran, Israel, Kosovo, Nigeria, Palestine, Right2Water, Sanitation, Serbia, Uganda, UK, WaterConflicts, 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.
Nigeria: Officials issue nationwide alert over cholera, yellow fever and dengue fever due to flood season
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) recently issued an impact-based weather forecast for July 2025, highlighting several states at heightened risk of flooding and flash floods. Sokoto state was identified as having a particularly high risk of flash flooding. Other states at notable flood risk include Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe and a couple of other states.
UK Special
Environment secretary ‘furious’ about England and Wales water bills
Steve Reed says he is unable to rule out further above-inflation rises and any decision would be up to regulators.
The environment secretary, Steve Reed, has said he is “furious” about an average 36% rise in water bills in England and Wales but was unable to rule out further above-inflation increases in future to fix the broken water sector.
Reed said he hoped that “root and branch” reform of the industry would lead to billions of pounds more in investment, which would mean companies would “never again” have to increase bills in the way they did last year.
‘Outwitted’: have water companies managed to sidestep Labour’s bonus ban?
Concerns loophole in 2025 act allows payouts at firms that repeatedly pollute England’s waterways with sewage.
It started before the election. Against a background of growing fury about the conduct of the water companies, Labour promised to end the injustice of their executives getting bonuses while sewage was dumped in England’s rivers and seas.
Water ombudsman to be created amid sweeping changes in England and Wales
Environment secretary to make announcement on Monday as part of review that is expected to abolish Ofwat.
A new water ombudsman will be announced on Monday by the environment secretary, Steve Reed, as part of government plans to overhaul the embattled sector.
The body will be among sweeping changes recommended in a review launched by Jon Cunliffe that are also expected to include the abolishment of Ofwat, the industry watchdog for England and Wales.
also: New water ombudsman will tackle leaks and overcharging. BBC
Roadmap to rebuild trust in water sector unveiled in major new report
Sir Jon Cunliffe publishes final recommendations.
A new integrated regulator for water, stronger consumer advocacy and 9 new regional water authorities to deliver on local priorities are among the final recommendations set out today (21 July) by the Independent Water Commission.
Chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, the Commission sets out 88 recommendations in its report to the UK and Welsh governments to transform the sector.
GOV.uk
Water tanks replace springs on a Serbian mountain as drought endangers some 1,000 cows and horses
A severe drought this summer has left over 1,000 cows and horses without water on a mountain in southeast Serbia, forcing the authorities to bring up emergency supplies.
The early drought that started in May has affected people, animals and crops throughout the Western Balkans, causing water and power restrictions, disruptions in river traffic and problems in agriculture in this part of southeast Europe.
Palestine: ‘No life without water’. Settler attacks threaten West Bank communities
From his monitoring station on a remote hill in the occupied West Bank, water operator Subhil Olayan keeps watch over a lifeline for Palestinians, the Ein Samiyah spring.
The spring, which feeds the pumping station, is the main or backup water source for some 110,000 people, according to the Palestinian company that manages it — making it one of the most vital in the West Bank, where water is in chronic short supply.
Ahram online / Israel – Palestine – Right2Water – WaterConflicts
Displaced Palestinians sheltering in Gaza City neighbourhood fear imminent overflow of sewage reservoir
Displaced Palestinians in a neighborhood in Gaza City fear a looming disaster from an overflow of a contaminated rainwater reservoir. The Gaza Municipality warned this past week that fuel supplies are needed to avert the potential overflow of the Sheikh Radwan water collection pond as the water level continues to rise.
AP – Associated Press Video / Israel – Palestine – Sanitation
Clean water has become a lifeline for over 2 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza
Women, children risk health carrying heavy water containers
Consecutive droughts and declining groundwater level have forced women and children in several parts of Kabul to carry heavy water containers over long distances every day— a task that, according to doctors, can lead to health complications such as spinal disc issues, joint pain and kidney problems.
According Pajhwok Afghan News report, the combination of overpopulation and reduced groundwater levels has created one of Kabul’s most serious environmental crises.
Iran: Tehran residents told to avoid tap water amid extreme heatwave
Citizens across Iran were urged to stop using household tap water due to repeated disruptions in supply. Iran’s national meteorological service announced that the country is experiencing its hottest week of the year, with temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F) in some areas.
Uganda: Tap water is safe for human consumption
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has assured the public that the piped water it supplies meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards and is safe for consumption—straight from the treatment plants. Speaking during a public engagement meeting in Gulu City, Anthony Opiyo, the Deputy Town Clerk of Pece-Laroo Division, questioned the safety of tap water.
Unemployment, the risk of cholera and thirst: Guinea is closing illegal water factories, but at what cost?
On Thursday 17 July, the Ministry of Trade announced the closure of 1,724 ‘mineral’ water factories for operating illegally. This unprecedented measure has been both welcomed and criticised, and aims to clean up a sector that has become uncontrollable.
For several years, the proliferation of water brands with fanciful names, often hastily printed on dubious packaging, has been evidence of the deregulation of this sensitive sector. The lack of rigorous control has paved the way for products of uncertain quality that are sometimes even dangerous to public health. In this sense, the government’s decision is a positive step: it signals a commitment to setting standards and rebuilding trust in this important market.
China embarks on world’s largest hydropower dam, capital markets cheer
China’s Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world’s largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Commencement of the dam, China’s most ambitious hydropower project since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday.
Aotearoa – New Zealand: Ten years of boiling water in Kāeo: ‘They just can’t rely on’ it
It has been 10 years since residents in the small Far North town of Kāeo were placed under a boil-water notice – but it is not a milestone anyone is celebrating.
Chef and cooking teacher Anna Valentine, who lives on Kāeo’s main street, is among those affected.
She said she had never been able to drink from the tap, and at times she could not even use the water for laundry.
India: TUYC mulls protest over tap water denial
Stating that consumers of Thangmeiband Khomdrom Selungba Leikai and Hijam Dewan Leikai have not received water supply for the last five years, Thangmeiband United Youth Club (TUYC) has warned of launching agitations if authorities concerned do not address the matter within short notice.
E-Pao / India – Right2Water
Why the Nile dam crisis demands action and accountability
The dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has become one of the world’s major water conflicts. In recent weeks, it has gained renewed international attention, particularly after remarks from US President Donald Trump and a declaration by Ethiopia. As Ethiopia celebrates the “completion” of the dam, Egypt views the announcement as a direct challenge to international law and a threat to the foundation of its national security. With its inauguration set for September, the question remains: will diplomacy prevail or will unilateralism triumph over cooperation?
Arab News / Egypt – Ethiopia – WaterConflicts
“A silent killer.”
Experts issue warning over slow-moving ‘catastrophe’ threatening food and water systems: ‘The worst I’ve ever seen’.
A new report warns that drought is fueling a global hunger crisis, with more than 90 million people in Africa on the brink of starvation and key food supplies disrupted worldwide. Experts say this slow-moving disaster, worsened by a warming world, threatens water, food, and energy systems across continents.
Kosovo: Water and sewage are chronic problems in Skenderaj.
According to a previous study by the GAP Institute, Fadil Nura, who has been mayor of Skenderaj since 2021, made 66 election promises. According to GAP, 32 of these have been fulfilled, 16 are halfway to being fulfilled, 13 have been started and 5 have not yet been fulfilled.
Three years after an agreement was reached between the municipality of Skenderaj and an investor, only a few unfinished concrete structures remain on the site where a wood and concrete products processing plant was to be built.
Cuba: Tras meses sin agua, madres cubanas cortan una calle en Regla y exigen respuestas
El problema solo recibe un paliativo momentáneo, sin continuidad, que no representa una verdadera solución.
Diario de Cuba (Spanish) / Cuba – Right2Water
also: “¡Se acabó, llevamos casi cuatro meses sin agua!”, protestan mujeres en Regla. Marti
Pete Songi on the struggle to clean up Britain’s waterways:
Source: The Guardian
