Xylem employees volunteer 113,000 hours to tackle water challenges
In 2021, Xylem employees doubled their volunteer hours to help with water challenges in 55 countries.
Xylem provides 10 hours of time off annually for employees to volunteer in their communities to help solve water challenges. Despite COVID-19, volunteer hours doubled from 2020 to 2021, including nearly 13,000 employees helping to solve urgent water problems.
Xylem employees stepped up both in person, in their own communities, and virtually, finding new ways to make a difference. Initiatives included cleaning up waterways, supporting disaster response teams, and providing water education.
“Volunteering is one way we invest in our mission to solve the world’s biggest water challenges,” said Austin Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at Xylem. “Our colleagues, customers and NGO partners showed real passion, last year – doubling the number of hours they volunteered, compared with 2020. It was particularly encouraging to see this uplift in the face of COVID-19. They found so many creative ways to help communities become more resilient – mentoring young people online, championing the efforts of our NGO partners, and supporting humanitarian relief efforts. It’s just so inspiring to see the impact they’ve had.”
Xylem’s volunteering initiatives are part of its corporate social responsibility program, Xylem Watermark. Initiated in 2008, Xylem Watermark provides people around the world with access to clean drinking water and sanitation, educates people about water-related issues, and supports humanitarian emergency relief.
In 2021, Xylem Watermark volunteers:
Supported communities in China’s Henan and Shanxi Province affected by record-breaking floods. Xylem’s volunteers set up a 24-hour contact center, supplied pumps to help discharge floodwater, and donated food and water to the affected communities.
Helped with relief efforts in western Germany last summer when the River Ahr overflowed and destroyed more than 3,000 homes and businesses. Xylem employees took part in clean-up efforts, raised funds to support the evacuation of affected families, and distributed food and hygiene kits to emergency shelters.
Raised funds for clean water access projects spanning seven countries in Latin America. Over 800 Xylem employees, customers and community members participated in “Aquaton,” a month-long, fund-raising challenge.
Donated engineering skills to support the work of Engineers Without Borders. A diverse team of Xylem volunteers from South Africa, Europe and North America helped rehabilitate WASH (water and sanitation hygiene) facilities at rural health clinics in Malawi.
The volunteers’ efforts also contributed to Xylem’s 2025 Sustainability Goals, which include: providing access to clean water and sanitation for at least 20 million people living at the base of the global economic pyramid; providing water and WASH education for 15 million people; and giving 1% company profits to water-related causes and education around the world.
Learn more about Xylem’s 2025 Sustainability Goals.
Americares and Xylem deliver clean water and sanitation to 3.5 million people in 2020.
Mercy Corps and Xylem bring emergency, life-changing relief to more than 40 countries.