Xylem, partners and communities accelerate progress on water security

Volunteers help 1,000 NGOs drive impact in 56 countries in 2023.

More than 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and nearly half of the global population does not have safe sanitation, according to UNICEF. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring clean water and sanitation (WASH) for all – aims to close this gap. In 2023, Xylem employee volunteers, partners and customers supported 1,000 nonprofits, including Americares, Mercy Corps and UNICEF*, to help deliver WASH access and education for communities in 56 countries through Xylem Watermark, our corporate social responsibility program.

“UNICEF is working to ensure equitable access of WASH through cost-effective interventions and the private sector is pivotal to delivering on this goal,” said Michael J. Nyenhuis, President and CEO, UNICEF USA. “Programs like Xylem Watermark, which bring together cross-sectoral expertise to drive innovation, are helping us to move faster and scale solutions to achieve SDG6.”

Xylem Watermark’s 2023 impact

Among the milestones Xylem Watermark and partners achieved together in 2023:

• Record employee volunteer participation of 89%** – Xylem employees in 56 countries volunteered more than 183,000 hours, participating in skills-based volunteer initiatives, designing and implementing WASH solutions for underserved communities, and building capacity through training and mentorship.
  
  
• Humanitarian aid response to 30 disasters, delivered in partnership with global non-profit partners – Efforts included the pro-bono provision of emergency water treatment and dewatering solutions in response to disasters in Morocco, Chile, China, Türkiye, the Philippines and Libya.
  
  
• Volunteer support to more than 1,000 organizations.
  
  
• Community grants or matching donations to 148 non-profits working on water-related causes in communities around the world through Xylem Watermark.

“Xylem Watermark draws on the collective power of Xylem’s team, our customers, channel partners, suppliers and the nonprofit community, to further our mission to solve water,” said Austin Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at Xylem. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to advance water security for all and our colleagues and partners continue to step up for SDG6.”

2025 Sustainability Goals

Xylem Watermark initiatives contribute to Xylem’s 2025 Sustainability Goals of providing access to clean water and sanitation for at least 20 million people, providing water and WASH education for 15 million people, and giving 1% of profits and 1% of employee time to water-related causes and education.

Watermark spotlight: Delivering clean water access in Siem Reap, Cambodia

In October and November 2023, Xylem employees, customers and our NGO partner Planet Water Foundation delivered clean water access and WASH education to six primary schools and their communities in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Seventy-two percent of households in the country lack access to a safely managed water supply.

The Xylem Watermark teams installed six water towers with filtration systems across the province, providing clean water access to nearly 11,000 people. The group also provided WASH education activities to students and community members to raise awareness of the importance of handwashing and hygiene practices to prevent waterborne illnesses.

“In rural schools, access to clean water is often a challenge, with many relying on boreholes or children bringing water from home,” said Roxana Marin, Xylem’s Vice President of Central and Northern Europe. “This water, often rainwater, is usually not purified. The installed water towers and filtration systems are pivotal to combat waterborne illnesses that prevent students from attending school.”

“It was an immense privilege to join forces with Xylem colleagues, customers and our partner Planet Water to bring positive and lasting change to these communities," says Marin.

Read more about Xylem Watermark.

*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, organization, product or service.
**2023 employee participation rate excludes legacy Evoqua employees due to the mid-year acquisition. Total employee participation will be reported from 2024 onwards.