2011-03-02

Water For People - Charity Supporting Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation


20 Years of Supporting Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

DENVER – February 28, 2011 – Today, Water For People (www.waterforpeople.com) marks its 20th anniversary of working to create a world where all people have access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation, and where no one suffers or dies from a water- or sanitation-related disease. In 1991, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) founded Water For People with this vision in mind and now the organization works in 11 developing countries in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.

Water For People’s unique business-oriented approach and its commitment to providing full coverage for everyone within a region coupled with monitoring and evaluation continue to set it apart from other development organizations. Partnerships with local governments, civil society and institutions, plus the private sector, including emerging entrepreneurs are the hallmarks of Water For People’s work to provide the foundation for communities and municipalities to become self-reliant in providing their own water and sanitation services. Innovative technologies such as FLOW (Field Level Operations Watch) have instrumentally shifted methods of data collection and reporting on projects, which demonstrates accountability to donors and the people who are relying on newly developed services.

“We are very grateful for the outstanding support that the North American water and wastewater community has given us over the years,” said Ned Breslin, Water For People CEO. “Through the passion, dedication, and hard work of Water For People’s partners, supporters, and volunteers we have helped transform the lives of more than a million people. But this is only a glimpse of what we can achieve in the future. We celebrate this day, but we don’t lose sight of our larger goal to continue fostering locally-based partnerships and utilizing innovative solutions so that everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.”

“Water For People’s founders had a clear, simple and world-changing vision that all people should have access to safe water,” said David LaFrance, Executive Director for AWWA. “We’re pleased to congratulate Water For People’s committed staff and volunteers on turning so much of that vision into reality. AWWA is proud that 20 years ago we were there when Water For People started, and we continue our pride as a committed giving partner for the future.”

For more information about Water For People, contact Dan Klinglesmith at pr@waterforpeople.org or visit the website at www.waterforpeople.org.

For more information about the American Water Works Association, contact Deirdre Mueller, Public Affairs Manager, at dmueller@awwa.org or visit the website at www.awwa.org.

About Water For People
Water For People is a leading international nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to creating reliable safe drinking water resources, improved sanitation facilities, and hygiene education programs in the developing world; it currently operates in 11 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. The organization’s unique business-oriented approach works to establish partnerships between local and national government institutions, nongovernment organizations, private enterprise, and entrepreneurs to enable local communities, districts, and municipalities to plan, build, finance, maintain, and operate their own safe water and sanitation services. Water For People puts long-lasting solutions and 100% coverage of a region with safe water access for everyone at the forefront of its strategy. It fosters innovation solutions to water and sanitation problems that are adaptable worldwide, and through monitoring and evaluation of its program impact for at least 10 years post-implementation, Water For People ensures that its work is sustainable by local partners. For more information, visit www.waterforpeople.org.

About AWWA
AWWA is the authoritative resource for knowledge, information, and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of drinking water in North America and beyond. AWWA is the largest organization of water professionals in the world. AWWA advances public health, safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of the drinking water community. Through our collective strength we become better stewards of water for the greatest good of the people and the environment. For more information, visit www.awwa.org.

Water For People
Press Release
CONTACTDan Klinglesmith
720-488-4579
pr@waterforpeople.org

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