Today, more than 2 billion people, roughly one in four globally, still lack access to safe water.

That staggering gap is fueling action. A coalition of global brands and changemakers has launched a new movement built on a simple idea: What if everyday actions could help solve one of the world's most urgent challenges?

The initiative, Get Blue™, from Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, alongside founding partners including Ecolab, Gap Inc., Starbucks and Amazon, is working toward a shared goal of helping end the global water crisis.

At its core, Get Blue invites people everywhere to turn familiar behaviors, such as shopping, sharing and donating, into actions that help deliver safe water to families around the world.

"Water.org has changed the future for more than 90 million people, proving our solutions work at scale," says Gary White, CEO and co-founder of Water.org. "To bring water home for everyone, everywhere within our lifetimes, we have to scale even faster. That's why we launched Get Blue - a community built on collaboration, bringing together industry leaders, creators, and people to take action. When brands join us, they invite their communities into this work. That is how progress happens - one person, one action at a time." 

As the official water management partner of Get Blue, Ecolab plays a distinct role in the coalition by linking water stewardship in business operations to tangible community impact.

Through the Ecolab Foundation, the company is committing $1 million, with $500,000 delivered immediately and an additional $500,000 unlocked as customers help achieve 255 billion gallons of water savings this year through the use of Ecolab solutions.

Ecolab delivers global water solutions across more than 40 industries, helping customers use water more efficiently, improve operational performance, and protect local water supplies. When customers optimize water use, it is not just about efficiency. It is about helping expand access to safe water globally.

"Water is one of the world's most urgent challenges and one of the greatest opportunities for collective action," said Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab. "Through our partnership with Water.org and our role in Get Blue, we are connecting the work we do every day, helping our customers deliver high performance with the lowest impact. Together with our associates, customers and partners like Get Blue, we have the ability to help scale proven solutions and accelerate access to safe water for millions of people."

Ecolab's latest Growth & Impact Report underscores the power of collective action at scale. In partnership with customers, the company has helped conserve 245 billion gallons of water, equivalent to the annual drinking needs of 849 million people, while avoiding 4.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and protecting 1.7 billion people from foodborne illness and infections. These results demonstrate how innovation, partnership and purpose can deliver measurable impact for both people and the planet.

Solving the global water crisis will not come from one organization alone. It will come from millions of connected actions.

Because in the end, bringing water home should not be out of reach. And now, it is something more people can help make happen as global brands and partners come together.

More about Get Blue and this initiative can be found here: https://getblue.water.org/ or donate at https://getblue.water.org/ecolab/.