Global Rundown
Almost half the water that enters South Africa’s delivery network is lost to leaks and theft or is not paid for by customers, a government audit finds.
Amazon agrees to pay $20.5 million to settle claims that its data centers allegedly contributed to nitrate pollution in eastern Oregon.
European Parliament adopts new water pollution and monitoring standards for dozens of contaminants, but gives governments 13 years to comply.
Researchers propose a new metric to assess the contribution of extreme rainfall to a region’s annual precipitation.
The Lead
South Africa’s municipal water systems are at a crisis point, according to three government audits released last week and reported on by the Daily Maverick.
Many municipal water systems are stuck in a cycle of terrible management, undertrained staff, inadequate maintenance budgets, and poor performance. As a national average, water systems do not receive revenue from nearly half the water they provide. Of the 47 percent that is “non-revenue water,” most is lost to leaks or theft. Some is not properly billed or is given away.
The best performing water systems are located in Gauteng and the Western Cape, the first and third most populated provinces. The worst systems are in Free State and Northern Cape, the least populated.
Though a turnaround will be difficult, government officials hope the report’s findings prompt a reckoning.
“Decline is not destiny, failure is not permanent, and broken systems can be rebuilt,” said Pemmy Majodina, the water and sanitation minister. “With courage, discipline, competence, and collective resolve, South Africa can turn this tide. Let this be the moment when we refuse to normalize sewage pollution, reject complacency, and choose responsibility, action and service.”
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This Week’s Top Water Stories, Told In Numbers
Amazon agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle claims that its data center in eastern Oregon was contributing to nitrate pollution in the area’s groundwater, Oregon Live reports. Farms and food processors are the primary source of nitrates, but Amazon was accused of contributing via its wastewater. Amazon denies wrongdoing.
On the Radar
European Parliament adopted new water pollution and monitoring standards that national governments must incorporate into their regulations starting in December 2027. The timeline for meeting the standards is much longer – compliance is not required until 2039.
The additions for surface water number 23 individual contaminants, including glyphosate (a pesticide), bisphenol A (an industrial chemical used in plastics), and pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen and estrogenic hormones).
The new requirements extend to 24 PFAS, which will be regulated as a group. The standard will be the sum total of the individual PFAS. These PFAS also will be limited in groundwater.
Several contaminants no longer deemed a risk – the pesticide alachlor, for instance – were removed from the list.
The changes are part of the Water Framework Directive, the EU’s legal structure for protecting the continent’s waters. The directive initially called for surface and groundwaters to be in good condition by 2015. However, the EU’s 2024 assessment report found only 37 percent of surface water bodies had good or high ecological status.
Meanwhile, University of Michigan researchers developed the Extreme Precipitation Dependency Index, a new metric for evaluating the contribution of extreme rainfall to a region’s precipitation.
As global temperatures increase, the share of rain falling in extreme events will increase. This will cause several harms. Farmers that do not irrigate will be inundated and then have their fields dry out. Water will wash off the land quicker and less will be available to recharge groundwater.
Certain areas will be hit harder, especially if the global average temperature exceeds 4 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The study found hotspots in the Amazon, Sahel, Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia.
