News

RWA Donates Water Bottles to Students Through The Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund

Apr 09, 2021

The Regional Water Authority (RWA) donated nearly 2,000 reusable water bottles to students through the company’s affiliate, the Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund (The Watershed Fund). As more students head back to in-person classes, the RWA is helping to make sure kids have access to high-quality water in school. Water fountains remain closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and so students need reusable water bottles to stay hydrated and healthy throughout the school day.

“We are proud to help ensure that students stay hydrated,” said Brian M. Stone, Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund President. “These reusable water bottles will also help keep single-use plastic water bottles from being used and entering the waste stream, aligning with the Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund’s purpose of protecting watershed lands.”

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen that the need for high-quality water has never been greater,” said Larry Bingaman, President and CEO of the RWA. “In partnership with our Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund, the RWA continues to enrich the lives of thousands of students in our region by ensuring they can drink water safely while at school.”

L.W. Beecher Museum Magnet School received 514 water bottles, Wilbur Cross High School received 800 water bottles, Elm City College Preparatory Elementary School received 160 water bottles and Brennan-Rogers Magnet School received 250 water bottles. In recent months, the RWA has also donated hundreds of water bottles to Columbus Family Academy, the Worthington Hooker Upper School and King-Robinson Inter-District Magnet School.

The RWA created The Watershed Fund in 1999, and it remains a driving force behind its mission to protect water quality by acquiring watershed land and promoting environmental education. Working in partnership with municipalities, land trusts and other entities, The Watershed Fund enhances the environment and improves quality of life by protecting drinking water supplies and watershed lands. The education programs and scholarships supported by The Watershed Fund provide future leaders with the tools they need to preserve and protect open space and drinking water supply resources.