In a world where millions of people still do not have access to clean drinking water, Xylem's employees worldwide are committed to improving this situation.
In collaboration with the Planet Water organization, our corporate social responsibility program Xylem Watermark builds water towers in small villages to provide local people with access to clean water. In the tower, the collected water is filtered by pressure to bring it up to drinking water quality. The construction is made possible by the great commitment and dedication of our employees. Collected donations from the staff are doubled by Xylem, so that in addition to the time investment of everyone, the necessary financial resources can also be provided.
This year, when the worldwide Water Day, our Mexican and American colleagues were able to build another such tower. At the school of San Ildefonso, in the Mexican state of Querétaro, the water tower was then put into operation at the end of March. We are pleased that we were able to help 1,800 people to meet their basic need for clean water and are deeply touched by statements such as that of the villager Ana Lucero Hernandez:
"Last month, one of my children spent a whole week in the hospital because of a severe case of diarrhea. The doctor advised that she has to get rid of drinking water from the tap but it is inevitable because we cannot afford bottled water. I am very happy that Xylem came today to build an AquaTower for us. From today on, we are confident that our children are consuming clean, safe water.” Ana Lucero Hernandez, San Idelfonso Resident, Mexico
As with every water tower construction, playful "teaching" sessions were held with the school children to raise their awareness of hygiene and cleanliness. A great pleasure and not only for the children.
