This year, Liquid I.V.® hosted our second annual Confluence gathering dedicated to our partners, whose inspiring work drives a shared goal: clean water access for all. In the United States alone, over 2 million people go without clean water; around the globe, that number grows to 1 in 3. At times, this crisis can seem overwhelming and even impossible to overcome.  

Here at Liquid I.V.®, we meet the challenge with a mindset of hope and resilience. We dig in our heels, partnering with incredible organizations such as DigDeep, We the People, and Waterkeeper Alliance. The Confluence gathering culminated with Storytelling Night, where water leaders on the frontlines of the clean water crisis shared stories that let us know change is possible. 

“A day or lifetime without water is difficult for us to imagine,” opened Heather Cooley, Director of Research for the Pacific Institute. On average, an individual uses 13 gallons of water per day, and climate change is bringing new, pressing issues to the water crisis. Through evidence-based research and analysis, the Pacific Institute works within communities to help make them more resilient to climate change. 

Cooley was the first speaker to lead with the importance of community action, but certainly not the last. Julie Waechter of DigDeep shared the story of Donna, a woman residing deep in the Appalachian Mountains facing water shut offs. Her water line was leaking and because it was on her property, she alone was responsible for footing the massive bill. In meeting with Donna and others like her, DigDeep created a bill pay program to prevent water cut-off. By starting at the individual level and including impacted people in their solutions, DigDeep is able to develop scalable success.

The night shone a light on the ripple effect of community action. “Our laws are a reflection of what we care about as a society,” voiced water lawyer Alexandra Campbell-Ferrari. Campbell-Ferrari knows that while our laws may be imperfect, they are “the most important words we have.” Before 1972, there was no Clean Water Act to protect our rivers and streams, or Safe Drinking Water Act before 1974. If we continue to demand it, we can see change happen before our very eyes. Monica Lewis Patrick, aka the Water Warrior, can attest to this.  

Lewis Patrick is head of the Detroit-based organization We the People. The city experienced 140k household water shutoffs between 2014 and 2020 alone. Through their determination, We the People has not only set up multiple clean water supply locations but helped establish new regulations including mandatory water testing of every school and daycare. 

In 2023, we provided $1.85 million in grants to our carefully selected Confluence partners. The Confluence program has sparked 5 new collaborative projects, advanced water access and equity legislation, and helped safeguard communities against the impacts of climate change. All 10 nonprofits were also able to implement employee wellness programs and provide thousands of people in the US with clean water access. 

While we celebrate these organizations’ achievements in 2024, we look forward to everything we can accomplish together next year and beyond.