Water Business Buys 12,000 Years of Water
Water For Good™ uses profits to provide water for those in need.
The next time you buy a bottle of water you could be buying a year’s worth of water for someone in need. Proceeds from bottles of water sold under the Water For Good™ label provide safe water for people who lack clean water in Africa and Asia. The For Good Company, which produces Water For Good™, has so far donated enough to provide over 12,000 years of water for vulnerable children and families.
Under the “1 liter = 1 year” model, for each liter of Water For Good™ it sells, For Good Co. donates an amount equivalent to what it takes to provide a year of safe water for someone in need. For Good Co. partners with Lifewater International for clean water projects serving the remote, rural areas of Africa and Asia. For every 1-Liter of water sold in For Good Co.’s bottles, 1 year of water is provided. Its glass 1-Liter, swing top bottle is recyclable and reusable.
Globally, bottled water is more than a $100 billion per year industry, and it is the most popular beverage in the United States. Americans consume more bottled water per capita than soda, beer, or milk. For Good Co. aims to turn that trend into a benefit for the world’s most vulnerable by providing bottled water purchasers a choice. Based on the enormous scale of the bottled water industry and the cost of providing safe water to those in need, For Good Co. believes it is possible to provide safe water to everyone by directing just a fraction of the industry’s profits toward the cause.
Rob Hatch, founder of the For Good Company, wants to provide products that have an impact beyond the typical consumer. “Our consumers are people who want to get more out of what they buy. Consumers and our retailers want high quality products and are interested in using their purchasing power to deliver a benefit to our stakeholders: those in need of clean water and those whose mission it is to solve the water insecurity problem. Our stakeholders are people living in really difficult circumstances who can, with our help, climb out of extreme poverty when given the chance.”
Worldwide, nearly 750 million people do not have access to safe water. Most of these people live in rural areas that are difficult to reach. Over the past 40 years, Lifewater has served over 2.5 million people with clean water. Last year alone, Lifewater served over 50,000 people in Africa and Asia with safe water and sanitation.
“A lot of people are benefitting from Water For Good’s outward-focused model of business,” says Justin Narducci, Lifewater’s President/CEO. “Essentially, every time someone buys water they’re helping someone else get water, too.” The one-for-one model, popularized by businesses like TOMS™ and Warby Parker™, allows the impact of products to reach beyond the seller and buyer. “We sell a premium product that delivers a great option to the consumer and delivers a lifesaving benefit to families that don’t yet have access to safe water,” says Hatch.
Narducci claims Lifewater’s work “isn’t a donation – where we just show up, drill a well, and leave. We’re training and equipping communities in the full range of water, sanitation, and hygiene skills to sustainably improve their health. They’re able to use and maintain their water source for generations without any more external help.”
Hatch shares that For Good Co. plans to expand into other products that can help maximize the company’s impact. “Water For Good™ bottles excel compared to similar products that don’t support a good cause, and we believe we can provide additional high quality products that support safe water around the world.”
Narducci adds, “The bottom line here is that people are helping people. Every purchase we make sends a message about who we are, and it’s encouraging to see so many people take the opportunity to reach out and help others when they can.”
Lifewater International is a non-profit Christian water development organization dedicated to effectively serving vulnerable children and families by partnering with underserved communities to overcome water poverty. With experience in more than 40 countries since 1977, Lifewater serves people of all faiths, focusing on contextually appropriate water sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) development. For more information, contact Christine Zurbach (czurbach@lifewater.org) or visit www.lifewater.org. Lifewater International is based in San Luis Obispo, CA.