Well Aware and Richard’s Rainwater Unite to Provide Clean Drinking Water to Devastated Texans

February 20, 2021

Truckloads of bottled water will be distributed to communities in need

Austin, Texas, Feb. 20, 2021 — Today, local Texas based Well Aware and Richard’s Rainwater are announcing a partnership to provide water to those most affected by the recent winter storms in Texas. As a result, nearly half of Texans (over 14 million) are without safe drinking water. For perspective, 42% of the citizens of Kenya are without safe drinking water on a regular basis.

The crippling winter storm has taken out much of the water and energy infrastructure throughout the state, and repairs are not happening quickly. People who do have water have been notified that it must be boiled to be able to drink it. It has been one week since power and water began to disappear for millions.

In response to this crisis, Well Aware, a nonprofit organization providing life-saving water systems in East Africa, joined forces with Richard’s Rainwater to provide water to vulnerable populations throughout central Texas. The organizations have teamed up to provide expertise and supplies to ensure water is available to those in need.

Today, more than 250,000 bottles of water are making their way to central Texas, and distribution will begin Monday, February 22. Well Aware and Richard’s Rainwater are working to identify the areas where the water is most critically needed and will oversee proper and efficient deployment of the water. The initial deployment will begin in Austin.

“Most of Well Aware’s work is in rural east Africa, where this kind of struggle is part of daily life. We never imagined we would be called to provide water at this scale to our own community,” says Well Aware founder, Sarah Evans. “We are humbled to be able to utilize our expertise and knowledge of safe drinking water to help during this crisis.”

Well Aware is an organization with deep expertise in providing strategic disaster response. The team will be working to support this effort by providing on the ground support for activating the distribution, identifying the key areas of need and providing critical expertise around the importance of clean drinking water.

Access to water is especially vital during the pandemic in a state that has almost 250,000 active COVID-19 cases, and where citizens were not equipped for this additional disaster.

“Getting safe water to drink in the hands of people at risk of serious illness means more of our scarce city water can be reserved for handwashing and cleaning,” stated Taylor O’Neill of Richard’s Rainwater. “We feel fortunate to be in a position to be able to help by donating drinking water to those who need it most.”

To learn more, visit: wellawareworld.org/texas-water-relief

About Well Aware

Austin based nonprofit Well Aware builds 100% sustainable water systems in east Africa. To date, Well Aware has provided clean water systems in more than 70 communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Well Aware’s previous disaster response work includes relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey destruction with water analysis and filtration support, as well as water treatment support in the wake of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.

About Richards Rainwater

Austin-based Richard’s Rainwater provides 100% sustainable, naturally captured, ultra-filtered local rainwater. Richard started with a quest to get cleaner, better tasting water for a ranch in Austin in 1994. His dream has turned into a movement to provide clean, great-tasting water for everyone, everywhere.

Media Contact:

Lindsey Reed

512.415.4846

lindsey@wellawareworld.org

To support this distribution, you can donation at wellawareworld.org/texas-donation

Please send water distribution requests and questions to sarah@richardsrainwater.com