When a bottle of Provid water is bought at Steel City Pops, its contents do more than quench the thirst of the buyer. Steel City donates 100 percent of the profit, $1.30 per bottle, to Birmingham based non-profit Neverthirst. This money then funds the drilling of clean water wells in India, Sudan and the Central African Region.
To the consumer it’s usually just a bottle of water. To a resident of one of the three countries where Neverthirst builds clean water wells, the proceeds will help give their village access to clean water this year.
Collectively, the Neverthirst wells supply clean water to thousands of people on a daily basis. The idea of pairing with a local charity was Jim Watkins’ goal when he opened the first Steel City Pops in 2012.
“We wanted to make a tangible impact and continue to help raise awareness for various causes through our business,” Watkins said.
The support from local businesses like Steel City Pops has been the driving force behind the 400 wells Neverthirst has built in South Sudan, India and the Central African Republic. Watkins’ team includes Jordan Anderson, the manager of Steel City Pops.
“The company had a vision from the very beginning,” Anderson said. “It wanted to be an example of business done differently.”
As soon as a Provid water bottle is purchased, there is immediate feedback, Anderson said. The customer spends $2, and $1.30 per bottle goes directly to Neverthirst.
“We want students to recognize how easy it can be to make some kind of impact,” he said.
The Tuscaloosa store alone raises around $450 a month for Neverthirst. Combined with water bottle sales from the six other locations – four in Alabama and two in Texas – Steel City raises approximately $2,000 a month. This is enough to build at least one well in India a month. It takes at least $3,000 to build a durable well in the remote, less accessible areas of Sudan and the Central African region, but typically, Watkins said, the price is higher.
“It’s difficult to getting drilling equipment into these wells, it drives the cost up,” he said.
So far, Steel City Pops has been able to build two wells in India and is currently helping to fund an extensive well system in Uganda. In lieu of this well being a manual pump, Neverthirst has been able to install a system of solar panels and cisterns. This advanced system makes it possible for clean water to gravity flow through piping, which then provides indoor plumbing to businesses and the medical center within the compound. The clinic that receives plumbing from this well system is the only medical center within a 20-mile radius of this region.
With new plans on the rise, Steel City Pops is making their cause known.
“Tuscaloosa is the perfect blend of the residential community and the University,” Watkins said. “The energy is unlike anywhere else, and the impact this community can make is incredible.”
Students are encouraged to join Steel City and their work with Neverthirst through fundraising, spreading the word or attending Two Dollar Popsicle Nights and other events. The Steel City Pops management team said they are dedicated to helping raise the amount of wells they fund from several per year to several per month. Watkins said the Provid waters are the most important product they sell.
The effects of water-borne illnesses are amplified within third world countries. Side effects like diarrhea and vomiting lead to intense dehydration and can become deadly. Watkins said Provid waters are among the solutions to providing clean water in areas affected by poor water quality.
“We’re giving people clean water, yes, but what we are really giving them is life,” he said. “There’s nothing like that.”
