Freshwater Future Weekly: January 9, 2026
Join Us on January 13: Basic Introduction to Cyber Security
Not sure how to get started to improve your organization’s cyber security? Join us for a basic introduction to the topic. Freshwater Future staff will share what we’ve recently learned and implemented to boost our cyber security. You’ll learn how to mitigate cyber threats; protect your data; and learn about potential AI issues.
Please note that this information session is geared towards small organizations and will be a basic overview. This virtual session is free. Pre-registration is required.
Register today for Mindfulness and Movement on January 21
Take a midweek moment to slow down with Freshwater Future for 45 minutes of guided relaxation activities. Our facilitator, Jonathan Relucio, is a skilled practitioner of trauma-informed mindfulness, yoga, and meditation with over 20 years of experience advocating for social justice. This free session is open to all – please share this with friends and family. See you on Wednesday, January 21st at 11:30 am ET!
First Nations Win Lawsuit that Government is Required to Provide Safe Water
First Nations received a favorable ruling in a Canadian federal court that the government failed to provide them with safe drinking water and housing. The First Nations argued that by being forced to relocate onto reserves and without control over water infrastructure financing, they are dependent on government support. It was noted that the government provides local federal employees, but not the First Nations, with drinking water when a reservation is under a drinking water advisory. The case will now progress to determine if the government infringed on the First Nations’ charter rights and if there will be compensation.
New Tool: Lead Service Line Inventory
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a new dashboard where anyone can look up the newest lead service line counts for public water utilities. The information includes how many pipes are lead, galvanized, unknown, and non-lead. You can look up your public water system to assess its progress to replace lead service lines. Tips: For best results, use this website on a desktop computer. When you open the website, scroll down a little bit to the “Public Water Systems” section to search the name of your water system. You may need to customize the search by choosing your state under “Primacy Agency,” as well as other filters. In the image below, you’ll see an example from the dashboard.
Concerned about lead in drinking water? Check out our No Lead Safe is Toolkit for tips on how to keep you and your family safe.
State Legislative Update: Large Water Withdrawals and Data Centers
In 2025, we witnessed widespread community organizing around the Great Lakes region to speak up against threats to water from proposed data centers. Fortunately, state-level policies proposing stronger water protections are starting to be introduced. Most of the Great Lakes states introduced bills in 2025 that would require data centers to annually report their water use. This is a starting point for understanding the cumulative impact of large water withdrawals on the entire Great Lakes basin. Other bills introduced include:
- Indiana lawmakers proposed new state-level water consumption permits and local permitting requirements for water use estimates.
- One of five newly proposed data center bills in Michigan takes water consumption protection a bit further, banning permits for any projects requiring over two million gallons a day.
- In Wisconsin, a bill requires data centers to recycle water used for cooling.
If you are working to prevent harm due to a proposed large water withdrawal, we would love to learn about your work and offer resources. Please reach out to [email protected] or [email protected].