WorldSingapore's national water agency PUB broke ground on its fifth NEWater plant. With the new facility, the country's wastewater-to-drinking-water reuse share will reach 55 percent, crossing a critical threshold in water self-sufficiency.
WorldIsrael's Water Authority finalised the tender for its fifth large-scale seawater desalination plant. By 2030, 90 percent of the country's freshwater demand will be met by desalination. But rising salinity in the eastern Mediterranean is fueling environmental concerns.
WorldA joint investigation by Ofwat and the Environment Agency has hit three major water companies with 168 million pounds in fines for overflow violations and poor treatment performance. The decision has reignited the debate over privatisation.
WorldChina's Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced an investment plan to triple wastewater reuse capacity across 18 provinces in the Yangtze basin. It is positioned as the world's largest single-country reuse program.
WorldThe Australian Department of Health released new threshold values for PFAS compounds in drinking water. The PFOS limit drops to 8 nanograms. The decision will push water utilities across the continent toward advanced treatment technologies.
WorldThe Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's new framework sets a 60 percent reuse target for plants consuming more than 100,000 cubic meters per year. Semiconductor and automotive sectors are first in scope.
WorldPilot results published by Rijkswaterstaat reported 99.4 percent microplastic removal with a combined electrocoagulation and membrane system. The standard technology framework comes into force in 2027.
WorldThe State Water Resources Control Board approved new standards for direct potable reuse (DPR). Mega-projects in Los Angeles and San Diego come online in 2027.
WorldThe federal program approved by the government aims to double advanced treatment capacity across ten metropolitan areas in the basin. Manaus and Belém top the priority project list.
WorldThe Federal Environment Ministry's 2026-2035 plan sets out the public funding framework for micropollutant removal and energy neutrality. The first tranche unlocks in Q4 2026.
WorldChina and India are making Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems mandatory in textile and chemical sectors. The market is set to reach 12 billion dollars by 2030.
WorldSingapore's twenty-year NEWater program has become a global reference. Dozens of cities in the US, Australia and Europe are launching similar circular water projects.
WorldSeawater desalination projects announced in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in 2026 already total more than 38 billion dollars. New-generation plants halve energy consumption.
WorldWith the signing of the UN Plastics Treaty, microplastic discharge limits are being framed at a global level for the first time. The sector faces measurement standardisation and cost pressure.
WorldNext-generation membrane systems cut energy consumption by 40 percent while doubling treatment capacity. Graphene oxide and ceramic membranes are gaining ground fast.
WorldLaunched in 2014, the Namami Gange program has grown into the world's largest river restoration project with a 4.3 billion dollar budget. After eleven years, the results are mixed but encouraging.
WorldEPA's 4 ng/L PFAS limit forces billions of dollars in upgrades across thousands of US treatment plants. Europe is moving in the same direction.
WorldThe revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, approved by the European Parliament, sets a 2035 timeline for micropollutant removal and energy neutrality. The ripple effect is reaching well beyond EU borders.