Only if we rethink the paradigms that have guided water policy and investments so far, will we be able to match the ambition of SDG 6. Without significant change we won’t address contemporary water challenges and, due to the central and interlinked nature of water potentially undermine efforts across the 2030 agenda. The reality is that we can’t resolve the issues of the SDGs one by one, but need to address all of them simultaneously, look at the bigger picture and manage inevitable tradeoffs. New approaches in water management can help us to move in this direction.