Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced Elkay will donate 101 Elkay ezH2O bottle filling stations at select city sites and non-profits through a partnership with the city, Chicago Park District and Elevate to reduce plastic waste and expand cleaner, healthier drinking water throughout the south and west sides. The units also include a lifetime supply of filters.
The bottle filling stations will be installed on Chicago’s south and west sides in the city’s parks, buildings and community centers and will bring access to clean drinking water across locations that need it most while helping reduce single-use plastic waste. This donation coincides with Elkay’s milestone of the production of the one millionth ezH2O bottle filling station, which was installed in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood late last month.
"Delivering clean, drinkable water to all of our neighborhoods remains one of my administration's highest priorities," said Lightfoot. "Thanks to this incredible partnership, we will be able to reach this goal by expanding our residents' access to filtered water as well as reaffirm our commitment to driving resources into our south and west sides. I am extremely grateful for Elkay and Elevate's generosity and look forward to working with them to build a brighter, cleaner and more equitable Chicago."
City sites will have the bottle filling stations installed by the AIS union and include select parks and libraries, the Department of Family Support Services and select sites from the Chicago Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.
"It’s an honor to be able to serve the city in which Elkay was founded and contribute to a cleaner environment and healthier Chicago community for generations to come,” said Ted Hamilton, president of Elkay Plumbing. "We’re thrilled to be a part of this journey with the City of Chicago and Elevate as these installations will bring access to clean drinking water to locations that need it most, from schools to parks to youth centers and facilities."
Chicago’s south and west side communities have been advocating for improved access to safe, reliable and clean drinking water for years. With the onset of COVID-19, many residents were left with even more limitations to access water from parks and other public facilities.
“There has never been a better time to provide high-quality touchless water stations bringing healthy, safe, and affordable access to clean water to communities on Chicago’s south and west Sides,” said Anne Evens, CEO of Elevate. “We’re proud to partner with Elkay, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Park District to make this possible.”
The installation of Elkay’s bottle filling stations began this summer and will continue to be installed in locations of need throughout the fall. To learn more about Elkay’s efforts for cleaner drinking water, please visit www.elkay.com/fountainsforyouth.
