COCA-COLA SOUTHWEST BEVERAGES KNOWS WATER DOES A LOT
This month, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, a company of Arca Continental, is launching a new, statewide ad campaign called “Water Does a Lot.” The campaign aims to spotlight the importance of water and CCSWB’s efforts to conserve it in its plants and through community efforts.
As part of the company’s ongoing sustainability efforts, it partnered with The Coca-Cola Foundation to pledge $2 million in support of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) efforts to ensure this region has enough water to meet present and future needs as their respective populations continue to grow. This is a bi-national effort, in partnership with local experts across both of our geographies, leveraging the impact that initiatives on both sides of the border will have on the overall health on the watersheds where we currently operate.
The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive, knows that nothing is more important to the future of our planet than abundant, clean fresh water. As water shortages continue to intensify in local watersheds and aquifers, business risks associated with water can be expected to increase sharply. This is particularly true in the southwestern region of the United States, where there is an increasing strain on freshwater resources. As evidenced during this year’s winter storm, drinking water availability and continuous operation of water utilities are critical to our communities and operations.
CCSWB’s interest in connecting water replenishment with innovative freshwater and agricultural initiatives in the areas that provide water to its many plant operations represents a global best practice. To reach this goal of safeguarding water supplies in both Texas and Mexico, TNC is developing ground-breaking, science-based strategies through our programs to protect freshwater and implement sustainable practices.
West Texas Water: TNC is collaborating with groundwater managers across the Devils River and Dolan Creek to conserve finite, regional freshwater resources, as well as the wildlife that depends on them downstream.
TX Sustainable Agriculture Program: TNC is actively working with landowners in central Texas (San Saba and Llano Rivers) to establish pilot projects that will incentivize irrigation efficiency improvements and crop rotations, such as multi-paddock rotational grazing.
TX Environmental Water Market: TNC is using market tools to adapt towards current water shortages, through the purchasing of water rights on three primary basins: Colorado River/Matagorda Bay, Trinity River/Galveston Bay, and San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers/San Antonio Bay. To date, this effort has reduced the water extraction within this region by over 700 acre-feet, or 260 million gallons, of water per year.
