On this World Water Day of the United Nations, welcome to ReachforWater, a program dedicated to the promotion of non-bottled drinking water as a collective heritage for the well-being and future of all. ReachforWater seeks to contrinute to the creation of environments which favour health by providing greater access to high quality fountain water and to environmental protection by educating on the implications of using non-reusable plastic bottles. To ReachforWater, water is a collective ressource and human right.

We believe that schools and public spaces should provide an abundance and attractive sources of high quality drinking water. Water is the drink par excellence for hydration. Water is the ultimate beverage for hydration. “Water is the lifeblood of our bodies, our economy, our nation and our well-being (Stephen Johnson)”.

In terms of the environment, the consumption of non-bottled drinking water offers many advantages. It is a choice which reduces waste associated with plastics. From an economic perspective, we already pay for the treatment and distribution of drinking water through taxes. Water should not be the object of monetary exchange. This collective ressource and heritage must be free and accessible to all.

Our mission is to enable that non-bottled drinking water becomes the choice beverage by default, that it be more accessible, more attractive and better publicised – to the detriment of sugar-containing-beverages and bottled water. Through our research and our actions, we will work tirelessly to fulfill this mission.

I sincerely hope that you will join us.

Dr. Michel Lucas, Doctor in Epidemiology
Associate Professor, Department of social and preventive medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval
Researcher- Research Centre CHU de Quebec-Université Laval
Visiting Scientist – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health