ROCHESTER, NY – MAY 21, 2025 – In celebration of its five-year commitment to helping address the U.S. water crisis, the Nalgene Water Fund (NWF), established by Nalgene Outdoor, the makers of the iconic wide-mouth reusable bottle, today announced a $50,000 donation to DigDeep’s Appalachia Water Project (AWP). The contribution brings Nalgene’s mission to a region long sought out by its enthusiasts for its epic outdoor adventures and awe-inspiring landscapes, yet many communities there still lack access to clean, reliable water and basic sanitation.

To express appreciation for Appalachia’s beauty and engage its fans in supporting the region’s pressing water crisis, Nalgene Outdoor is launching a limited-edition bottle inspired by Appalachia’s iconic blue ridgelines and rivers. Available May 21 exclusively at Nalgene.com, each $20 bottle contributes $5 to the Nalgene Water Fund in support of DigDeep’s community-led work to deliver long-term water solutions.

“Being chosen as the beneficiary of a Nalgene Water Fund bottle brings critical support and helps us reach new people who care about this crisis,” said Travis Foreman, Director of DigDeep’s Appalachia Water Project. “Creating sustainable water access takes long-term commitment and trusted support, and this collaboration brings both.”

Since 2019, the Nalgene Water Fund has provided more than $800,000 in funding and in-kind support to grassroots partners advancing clean water access across the country. The crisis remains urgent, with over 2.2 million people in the U.S. still living without access to running water or basic plumbing.

Nalgene’s impact has grown through collaborations like REVERB’s RockNRefill program. For the first time, proceeds from bottles donated by Nalgene Outdoor and sold at live music events will go to the Nalgene Water Fund, turning fan purchases into meaningful support for clean water projects nationwide.

Communities supported by the fund include:

• Flint, MI: With Thermo Fisher Scientific, helped launch the Flint Community Water Lab with $650,000 in equipment, funding, and bottles.
• Benton Harbor, MI: Donated $13,000 and 2,000 bottles to install lead-filtering refill stations in district schools.
• Navajo Nation: Raised nearly $80,000 with Diné designer Jaden Redhair to support DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project and COPE.
• Western North Carolina: Donated $10,000 and 2,000 bottles to Water Mission following Hurricane Helene.

“We designed this bottle to turn our appreciation for Appalachia into action,” said Eric Hansen, Marketing Director at Nalgene Outdoor. “We hope Nalgene fans will rally behind DigDeep’s mission and give back to a region that’s given them so many unforgettable adventures.”

The exclusive Nalgene Appalachia bottle is available now for $20 at Nalgene.com, with $5 from each sale supporting the Nalgene Water Fund. Like all Nalgene bottles, it’s BPA/BPS-free, dishwasher safe, leakproof, and made from 50% recycled materials (ISCC-certified).

Supporters can also contribute by purchasing RockNRefill bottles at REVERB-supported live music events. Every bottle sold helps fund clean water access for underserved U.S. communities.

For photos and videos, samples, or more information, contact Marcia Gray at mgray@graycreate.com.  Follow @Nalgene on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

ROCHESTER, NY (September 29, 2022) — The Nalgene Water Fund (NWF) today announces a new design within the “Tó éí iiná” (Water is Life) limited-edition series created by Diné designer Jaden Redhair.  Five dollars of every bottle sale will continue to go toward supporting local nonprofits addressing the water crisis on the Navajo Nation. 

According to The Navajo Water Project, 30% of Navajo families live without running water. Incredibly, they are 67 times more likely than other Americans to live without running water or a toilet. Nalgene Outdoor partnered with Redhair in 2020 to create the first artist-designed, limited-edition bottle for the NWF. After record sales and multiple rounds of reprints, the NWF has donated nearly $80,000, to date, to two nonprofit partners on the Navajo Nation that work to make safe drinking water more accessible, DigDeep and Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE).

“I’m so pleased that my passion for design can educate so many people outside of the Navajo Nation about the essential role of water in our culture and continue to help raise funds toward improving access to clean water for our people,” says Redhair, age 22, an accomplished Navajo artist and recent Stanford University graduate, born for the Jemez Clan. 

The new limited-edition “Tó éí iiná” (Water is Life) bottle is available exclusively at Nalgene.com and retails for $20. The 32-ounce Sustain bottle is made from Eastman’s Tritan Renew material derived from 50% recycled plastic. Like all Nalgene bottles, it is leakproof, dishwasher-safe and ready for all of life’s everyday adventures.

“We’re thankful to have partners like Jaden Redhair who can create amazing designs and DigDeep and COPE who can immediately put the money into the Navajo community creating jobs, installing water systems, and benefiting the Navajo people,” says Elissa McGee, general manager, Nalgene Outdoor.

The NWF supports domestic communities struggling with access to clean water by partnering with grassroots nonprofits to raise funds and awareness. As Nalgene Outdoor proudly makes its products in the USA, the fund aims to support local communities. NWF donations are not just monetary, but also in-kind support with a focus on benefiting the community and infrastructure for future success. Nalgene Outdoor created the reusable water bottle category over 50 years ago with a simple idea that we can refill drinking water in reusable containers to help the environment. Yet, clean water for all is critical to this mission.  

Since its inception in late 2019, the NWF, with the support of Thermo Fisher Scientific, has contributed more than $650,000 in financial and in-kind donations to programs in Navajo Nation, Benton Harbor, MI and most notably to helping establish the Flint Community Water Lab in Flint, MI, a unique water quality testing program.

DigDeep

DigDeep is a national nonprofit organization working to ensure every American has access to running water and sanitation inside their homes. Thus far, the Nalgene Water Fund has supported DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project , a community-managed utility alternative that brings hot and cold running water to homes on the reservation that are not connected to piped water or sewer lines. The $47,500 donated to date supports DigDeep’s work to install running water inside homes on the Navajo Nation (which spans the corners of Utah, New Mexico and Arizona) and have also helped to fund water truck deliveries, truck maintenance, and staff training, including CDL training that is offered to Navajo technicians wishing to become licensed water truck delivery drivers. DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project is Indigenous-led and locally staffed.

COPE 

Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE) is a non-profit organization working to address health disparities in Navajo Nation through community-based outreach and food security initiatives. During the height of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, the NWF donated nearly $30,000 in critical funding and supplies to help install water refill stations and provide carboys (large vessels) to transport water from source to residence in one container. Recently, the NWF donated an additional $3,000 and 100 30-ml Nalgene sampling bottles to help fund a new pilot COPE program. The “Student Citizen Water Project” empowers six students to collect water samples in Nalgene water bottles in some of Navajo Nation’s most marginalized areas. Data from these results are currently being analyzed to prioritize the placement of the filtered water refill stations donated by the NWF. 

This student-centered approach models The Flint Community Lab, also a recipient of NWF support, and a first-of-its-kind, community-based water testing facility in Flint, Michigan. A novel concept — for the community, by the community — the Lab relies on high school students to collect water samples. A multi-generational approach, this concept builds trust in the process where younger members work side-by-side with elders to help assess water safety. The Flint Community Lab who has generously offered to test the water for COPE using their state-of-the art testing equipment.

You have several younger siblings. What is your hope for them as they continue to grow up on Navajo Nation?
I hope that my siblings strive for their goals and contribute to help the Navajo Nation thrive. They each have their own path and wherever that may lead them, I’ll be there to support them.

You’re an amazing young man! What is your hope for the future?
I hope that through my efforts as a designer and engineer, I inspire more native youth to make it a mission to help their communities in any way they can. We need to take care of our nation so that future generations will persevere and thrive in an ever changing world. Our culture is what holds us together and positive change will have everlasting effects for years to come.

The NWF supports domestic communities struggling with access to clean water by partnering with grassroots nonprofits to raise funds and awareness. As Nalgene Outdoor proudly makes its products in the USA, the fund aims to support local communities. NWF donations are not just monetary, but also in-kind with a focus on benefiting the community and infrastructure for future success. Nalgene Outdoor created the reusable water bottle category over 50 years ago with a simple idea that we can refill drinking water in reusable containers to help the environment. Yet, clean water for all is critical to this mission.

In late 2020, Nalgene Outdoor partnered with Diné designer Jaden Redhair to create a limited-edition “Tó éí iiná” (Water is Life) bottle, from which $5 of every sale was committed to raise money for solutions to help resolve the water crisis across the Navajo Nation. After record sales and multiple rounds of reprints, the Nalgene Water Fund is pleased to announce that it will donate an additional $36,000 between two nonprofit partners on the Navajo Nation, DigDeep and Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE), bringing the growing total over two years to nearly $80,000 in support.

The majority of the most recent donation will aid DigDeep, a national nonprofit organization working to ensure every American has access to running water and sanitation inside their homes. $33,000 will go directly to DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project , a community-managed utility alternative that brings hot and cold running water to homes on the reservation that are not connected to piped water or sewer lines.  The donation is in addition to nearly $14,500 previously contributed by Nalgene Outdoor to DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project, and will help DigDeep achieve their goal of installing water systems in 200 homes across the Navajo Nation this year. 

Helping 200 Homes Get Running Water

On the Navajo Nation, DigDeep Home Water Systems bring clean, hot and cold running water to homes previously without water access.  First, the Navajo Water Project team installs a 1200-gallon water tank underground at each residence and connects it to basic plumbing inside the home. If the house is not connected to the power grid, the DigDeep team will also install a solar power unit that powers the water system, as well as lights and charging ports inside the home.

The 1200-gallon water tank is buried to prevent freezing and protects the water from contaminants. Inside, the system includes a sink, water heater, filter, expansion tank, pressure gauge, drain line, leach field and, optionally, solar power and lights.

The tanks are refilled by  DigDeep’s network of locally-managed water trucks that transport safe drinking water from EPA-approved water access points to the home.  Water deliveries are another initiative supported by Nalgene Outdoor donations.

Creating Critical Jobs

DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project is Indigenous-led and locally staffed. In addition to supporting Home Water Systems, Nalgene Water Fund donations have also helped to fund staff training, including CDL training that is offered to Navajo technicians wishing to become licensed as water truck delivery drivers, as well as water truck maintenance and deliveries.     

In addition to its support of DigDeep, Nalgene Outdoor’s latest donation will also include an additional $3,000 and 100 30-ml Nalgene sampling bottles to Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE), a non-profit organization working to address health disparities in Navajo Nation through community-based outreach and food security initiatives.

In 2020 and 2021, Nalgene donated nearly $30,000 in critical funding and supplies to COPE. to install water refill stations and provide carboys (large vessels) to transport water from source to residence in one container.  

Nalgene Outdoor’s most recent donation will help fund a new pilot COPE program,  “Student Citizen Water Project” that  will empower six students to collect water samples in Nalgene water bottles in some of Navajo Nation’s most marginalized areas. Data from these results will then prioritize placement of the filtered water refill stations donated by the Nalgene Water Fund.  

This student-centered approach models The Flint Community Lab, also a recipient of Nalgene Water Fund support, and a first of its kind, community-based water testing facility in Flint, Michigan. A unique concept — for the community, by the community — the Lab uses high school students to collect water samples. A multi-generational approach, this concept builds trust in the process where younger members work side-by-side with elders to help assess water safety.

The NWF is proud to connect COPE’s student testing program with The Flint Community Lab who has generously offered to test the water for COPE  using their  state-of-the art testing equipment.

In August 2019 Nalgene established the Nalgene Water Fund committed to raising awareness that equitable access to clean water is a domestic issue, not just an issue that impacts “third-world” countries. For its first donation, in late 2020, Nalgene Outdoor selected the McKenzie Patrice Croom Water Lab, more commonly referred to as the “Flint Community Lab,” a creation between the Flint Development Center and non-profit Freshwater Future. The Flint Community Lab is a first-of-its-kind, community-built and operated lab that will, over the course of three years, provide free water testing to all households in Flint, Michigan, a community still reeling from its 2014 water crisis. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific and Nalgene Outdoor donated nearly $650,000 to the Flint Community Lab in state-of-the-art laboratory instruments, critical funding and reusable bottles used for both water sample collection and continued use at home. This donation includes a total of 21,000 Nalgene bottles over the three years to be used to collect and test water; and then refill and reuse once the drinking water is determined safe.

The Lab’s guiding principle is for the community, by the community. High school and college students take a multi-generational approach to go door-to-door to collect water samples from homes that are then tested in the Lab. The Lab even has a viewing area for Flint residents to watch the testing! 

With summer — and a new crop of interns — joining the Lab, Nalgene recently delivered 1,500 more bottles to the Flint Community Lab to aid in the Lab’s commitment to meet or exceed 500 sample collections per month. 

Nalgene Outdoor: Hi! And welcome to this position! As we work through the otherside of this Covid pandemic, what major initiatives is the Flint Community Lab pursuing?

Candice Mushatt: We are looking forward to the summer months, more people will be outside, there is a certain comfort level that comes with open air as opposed to enclosed spaces, so we will reach more residents at events or on their front porch.  We are looking to meet and exceed our 500 (sample collection) per month goal, in July we will be launching a campaign to do just that.

Nalgene Outdoor: Where are you in your goal to test all 21,000 homes in Flint?

Candice Mushatt: Unfortunately, Covid has slowed down some of our timing, so we are still at what feels like the beginning of the process — currently at just under 3,000 homes. That said, we have a plan in place to use the summer and outdoor months, as well as a more sustainable model for the winter months, to continue to make significant progress to test every residential home in Flint.

Nalgene Outdoor: How many local high school students are you currently working with and what are there roles and responsibilities?

Candice Mushatt: We are currently interviewing our next group of high school students, in Flint/Michigan the school year is coming to a close. We are in the process of recruiting new students and will have 5 or  6 new students working with us all summer starting at the end of June.

Nalgene Outdoor: What is the most impactful way in which the Flint Community Lab supports its local community?

Candice Mushatt: The Flint Community Lab is important for Flint residents because it is a stand alone lab, we are not connected to any governmental entity, so it has become a trusted source for residents that are still very skeptical of information coming from the government. The Lab was founded by Flint residents, it is run by Flint residents and we offer internships to Flint and surrounding area students. This adds to the credibility of the Lab. When you have people who not only work here, but live here and are also affected by the crisis, it gives you a sense of confidence in the integrity of the lab.

We are them and they are us.

Nalgene Outdoor: What are you most excited about in year two of this program?

Candice Mushatt: In addition to finally getting back out there and on pace with our goals to help provide transparency and trust for Flint residents with resources from within the community, the new media lab! This is a collaboration between The Flint Development Center, The Flint Community Lab, We the People of Detroit and Freshwater Futures. We are so excited about this addition! To further build ties with the community and show total transparency, we are able to broadcast live over multiple streaming platforms right from inside the lab. We also have a robot, ROVY, that we can send a temporary link to users and they are able to control it and tour the lab from wherever they are in the world!

World Water Day, held on March 22 every year since 1993, raises awareness for the 2.2 billion people worldwide living without access to safe water and advocates for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6: Sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for all by 2030.

For many, the day focuses attention on the world’s most impoverished, underdeveloped nations. But would it surprise you to learn that nearly 2.2 million+ people living in America — the most developed nation on Earth – also lack daily access to clean water, running toilets, and plumbing that the rest of us take for granted?

We create signature Nalgene bottles – sometimes beautifully designed by local artists – to raise awareness and funds to help U.S. communities impacted by the growing domestic water gap. We also use the heft of our website, social media, paid and earned media to educate the masses and implore them not to take for granted the water that runs so easily from their tap. 

By the numbers, the U.S. water crisis is startling: 

• 1.4 million people in the United States and 250,000 people in Puerto Rico lack access to hot and cold running water, a sink, a shower/bath, or a flush toilet. An additional 553,000 homeless people lack equitable access to running water and sanitation in America.
• More than 44 million people in the USA are served by water systems that recently had health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations.
• African-American and Latinx households are nearly twice as likely to lack complete plumbing than white households, and Native American households are 19 times more likely making race the strongest predictor of water and sanitation access in the United States.
• Lack of adequate water infrastructure is the root cause, not living off the grid and the problem extends across the whole USA.  Entire communities from California to Pennsylvania lack access to water and sanitation because of historical and geographical factors in the United States.

Source: Dig Deep’s and the U.S. Water Alliance’s 2019 report entitled “Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States” 

These statistics only scratch the surface on the full extent of the problem so the Nalgene Water Fund is also hard at work putting the dollars we raise through the sale of our Nalgene Water Fund bottles to work with local nonprofits fighting to right this wrong in US communities:

• Flint, Michigan: In 2020, through a partnership with Freshwater Future and Thermo-Fisher Scientific, the NWF donated more than $650,000 to the Flint Community Lab in state-of-the-art laboratory instruments, critical funding and reusable bottles used for both water sample collection and continued use at home.  In 2022, the NWF will send a second installment of 7,000 Nalgene bottles for collecting local water samples for testing.
• Navajo Nation: In 2021, the NWF partnered with Jaden Redhair, a local Navajo designer to create the “Water is Life” bottle, which to date has raised more than $45,000 toward efforts to improve access to clean water on the Navajo Nation in partnership with two Navajo nonprofits:  C.O.P.E and Dig Deep. In 2022, the NWF is working with Redhair on a second “Water is Life” bottle design whose funds will again benefit Dig Deep’s Navajo Water Project, ultimately aiding in better sanitation systems, job training, and employment opportunities.
• Benton Harbor, Michigan: In 2021, the NWF contributed more than $16,000 to install eight water refill stations that filter out lead in schools and also send nearly 3,000 Nalgene bottles to schools located in Benton Harbor, MI.  The NWF’s donation ensures that all students in grades K-12 have access to clean drinking water and bottles to drink it from. In 2022, water samples from all the fountains will be taken monthly and shipped to the Flint Community Lab for testing to determine filter maintenance and keep the refill stations working hard! 

This past summer the Nalgene Water Fund (NWF) worked with Freshwater Future, a non-profit dedicated to a healthy future for the waters of the Great Lakes region, to identify the Benton Harbor Community Water Council (BHCWC) as a recipient of its most recent round of donations. The NWF supports domestic communities struggling with access to clean water to raise funds and awareness.

Benton Harbor, a city nestled on the southeast edge of Lake Michigan, across the lake from Chicago, is dealing with lead pipes within its drinking water transport.  For the past three years Benton Harbor residents have lived with elevated lead in their water that exceeds both state and federal limits. In fact, 18 public sources in the state of Michigan are currently out of compliance for lead in the water (above 15 ppb  lead detected in at least 10% of homes tested in the water supply).

The partnership includes several facets to support clean drinking water in Benton Harbor:

• This summer, the NWF contributed an initial $3,500 donation to install water refill stations that filter out lead at two locations in Benton Harbor High School ensuring that the nearly 600 students there had access to clean drinking water on the first day of school.
• Nalgene Outdoor donated reusable water bottles for every high school student the first week of school. All middle- and elementary- aged students will receive Nalgene product with their water refill stations later this fall.
• Within the next few months the donation will total over $13,000 and include 8 filtered water refill stations installed across all the district’s schools.
• Freshwater Future will take monthly samples from the water refill stations and test them for lead at the state-of-the-art Flint Community Lab to determine when filters need changing.

“It’s all about water,” says Rev. Edward Pinkney, chair of the Benton Harbor Community Water Council. “Nalgene and its Water Fund understand that we are stronger when we work together toward a common goal and that in order to solve our nation’s most pressing water challenges, we have to work at a grassroots and community-driven level.”

Nalgene Outdoor believes that every community in the U.S. should have the basic human right of clean water. The Nalgene Water Fund launched in 2019 to support domestic communities struggling with access to clean water. The Fund partners with grassroots nonprofits to raise funds and awareness for local water crises. Specially designed Nalgene Water Fund bottles are available exclusively for $15 at Nalgene.com . $5 of the sale of each of these bottles goes to the Fund and supports its mission.

“We hope to put Benton Harbor on the map for those outside of Michigan,” says Elissa McGee, general manager, Nalgene Outdoor. “Raising awareness nationally that access to safe water continues to be a challenge for many in the United States and contributing resources to local nonprofits that are working toward a solution is our constant goal.”

About the Nalgene Water Fund

• In 2020, through a partnership with Freshwater Future and Thermo-Fisher Scientific, the NWF donated more than $650,000 to the Flint Community Lab in state-of-the-art laboratory instruments, critical funding and reusable bottles used for both water sample collection and continued use at home. 
• In 2021, the NWF partnered with a local Navajo designer to create the “Water is Life” bottle, which to date has raised nearly $45,000 toward efforts to improve access to clean water on the Navajo Nation. 

About the Benton Harbor Community Water Council

Benton Harbor Community Water Council is a community-based grassroots organization that aims to inform, educate and empower residents about land, water, education and the democratic process. 

About Freshwater Future

Freshwater Future is a catalyst for community action that strengthens policies designed to safeguard the waters of the Great Lakes region.

Q: In 3-4 sentences please introduce yourselves and give a short bio of who you are.
A:  Hi there! My name is Rylee and I am a full-time RN working in a school setting with the most amazing kids. When I’m not at work, you can usually find me at the gym or anywhere in the fresh air, whether it’s a local park or somewhere up in the Adirondack Mountains! I love exploring with my husband and our two mini poodles, Pixar and Kazooie!

Q: Where are you currently residing? (State)
A: I currently live in Rochester, NY, which ironically is where Nalgene’s story first began!

Q: Health and fitness are a big part of your life, how did you get started on that journey?
A: I have been active for most of my life, starting with Irish Dancing when I was six years old, but it wasn’t until I went to college that I discovered fitness in a gym setting. During my first year, I took a PE course that introduced me to all different styles of exercise, from cycling to yoga and everything in between, and I was hooked! I went on to become a certified trainer myself and taught group classes for the rest of my college years. Now, I love to explore and try new things, and staying active allows me to feel like I am always ready for anything!

Q: What is your favorite thing to do to add self-care and relaxation into your busy routine?

A: Sometimes, I find it hard to relax and de-stress, especially after coming home from work, so one of the ways I add self-care into my routine is finding time to take our dogs for a walk. Getting some fresh air and seeing how happy they are to be outside exploring always brings a smile to my face! Plus, getting in some movement myself always helps me to feel more positive.

Q: How does Nalgene make your life simpler?

A: One of my daily goals is drinking 100oz of water. That means filling up my Nalgene bottle 3 times! My bottles make it so easy for me to keep track of my water intake, and I love having so many beautiful options to choose from. And on the days when my adventures include hiking, I know I’ve got something strong and sturdy that is going to be able to keep up with all of my exploring!