June 5, 2015 -- In an effort to draw attention to water scarcity and better management practices, as well as advance strategic watershed projects in brewery communities, Anheuser-Busch (AB), a major American brewer, has announced that it is partnering with, and funding $200,000 for, two organizations in water-stressed regions -- CalTrout in Los Angeles, Calif., and The Nature Conservancy in Fort Collins, Colo.
In California, AB will support CalTrout's efforts to improve the ecological health of the Mammoth Lakes Basin by enhancing its water quality and supplies downstream. This watershed project, located in central California's Inyo National Forest, impacts the water supply that travels more than 300 miles south to Los Angeles and sustains its 4 million area residents.
In Fort Collins, AB will work with The Nature Conservancy to protect and restore Colorado's forests in Cache la Poudre River watershed. These forests catch and filter the water supply for more than 250,000 residents in Fort Collins, Greeley and other neighboring communities.
AB is also encouraging employees to 'walk for water' on Friday, June 5. For each employee that walks, the A-B Foundation will donate clean drinking water for five people for five years through a donation to water.org, up to $100,000. Water.org is a global organization that increases water access and quality around the world.
AB continues to make significant strides in conserving water and energy throughout the brewing process, including the following:
- Beyond brewery walls, AB has worked to improve local watersheds in all brewery cities through 30 watershed improvement projects.
- At U.S. breweries, AB has reduced water consumption by 47 percent in the last 10 years and by 22 percent in the last five years.
- AB achieved an industry-leading water use ratio of 3.2 hl/hl of production -- which from 2013 to 2014, was equivalent to saving the amount of water it takes to make more than 4 billion cans of beers.
- More than 90 percent of AB's total water use goes into growing barley and other agricultural inputs used in the brewing process, which is why the company focuses on agricultural development and getting the most crop per drop through the SmartBarley program.
See also:
"CA city water supply, wastewater system ideal for brewery business"
"Watershed projects sponsored by Budweiser, River Network in each of its U.S. brewery cities"
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