With awareness of water quality issues on the rise, water-related charities are making big noise these days. Big events, like the recent Summit on the Summit, a trek to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa to raise awareness of the clean water crisis worldwide, provide fascinating fodder for the news media. Big celebrities, like Matt Damon, a co-founder of charity Water.org, bring big popularity to the issue — especially with media stunts like his recent (albeit joking) declaration that he was on a “toilet strike” until everyone in the world had access to clean drinking water.
These events highlight issues that are most definitely worthy causes, and they are great ways to grab the public’s attention and educate them about these important issues. This type of awareness can help the public think more about water quality — not only in developing countries, but also in our own homes and businesses.
It doesn’t take a feat of endurance or an Academy Award-winning actor to bring awareness to a good cause, though. Companies within the water quality industry have made a difference with donations of funds or equipment to charities such as Wishing Well International Foundation (which, incidentally, is an organization founded by people within the industry). The foundation has worked to install filtration systems in Africa and the Caribbean, with plans to expand to more locales in the future.
There are numerous small ways to make a difference, whether the cause is access to drinking water or any number of worthy issues, as Tim Miles discusses in his article, “Giving for Good” (page 18). He cites a restaurant in his hometown that each Tuesday donates 5% of its profits to a pre-selected charity of the month. The owners do it without much fanfare, and without pressuring anyone to give if they don’t want to — just a flyer that lets people know which organization is that month’s beneficiary.
Water treatment companies can translate this example to fit their businesses. Not only does it allow companies and employees to do good, it also creates goodwill with customers, allowing them to see a dedication to giving back to the community. Whether big or small, every bit counts.
If your business is involved in any charitable events, Water Quality Products (WQP) would love to hear about them. E-mail us at [email protected].
Raring to Go in Indy
The water quality world is gearing up for the year’s main event, WQA Aquatech USA 2013, taking place April 2 to 5 in Indianapolis. As always, the tradeshow will present a wide variety of education opportunities, including seminars, workshops and sessions on the exhibition floor, that will provide information on the latest issues and technologies. The exhibition will feature hundreds of companies touting the latest products, and a variety of events will provide opportunities for networking.
The WQP staff will be in attendance, and we hope to see you there. Stop by our booth, #1015, to say hello and pick up copies of our publications.
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