Sep 01, 2020

Greenville Water Creates a Stronger Community for a Better Future

Greenville Water’s top priorities include sustainably, supporting and serving greater Greenville

Greenville Water understands that being a responsible community partner means going above and beyond its primary mission of providing quality water, which is why its commitment is twofold: “Quality Water, Sustainable Future.”

Greenville Water is dedicated to and actively engaged in partnerships supporting community betterment and long-term sustainability. These partnerships will expand even more in 2021 with the company’s sponsorship of a new Environmental Science and Sustainability Center.

Building blocks to an engaged community

Greenville Water has collaborated with the Greenville County School District and Roper Mountain Science Center (RMSC) since 2011. They believe it is fundamentally necessary to provide generations to come with the environmental science education needed to sustain the community.

This partnership provides a unique opportunity to be involved in the creation of a new facility on the RMSC campus that will engage Greenville’s future leaders while establishing lasting, positive impacts in the areas of environmental awareness, sustainability, conservation and water education.

Within the Sustainability Center, a one-of-a-kind Water Story exhibit will feature an immersive water cycle that will guide visitors on a journey through one of three watersheds that provide the community its pristine water. The interactive exhibit will engage young and old alike in the water treatment process and the operation of the distribution system. It will also promote problem-solving skills through real-life scenarios and is designed to inspire youth to consider careers in the water utility industry, allowing the Greater Greenville area to benefit from long-term workforce planning.

“Everyone knows Greenville has great water, but now students and visitors will be able to learn why the protection of our watersheds and ecosystems is so important when they experience the new exhibits and programs,” said RMSC Director Michael Weeks.

The Sustainability Center will raise awareness around the importance of the long-term sustainability of water and the environment, ultimately ensuring the preservation of the high-quality water that is critical to the growth and prosperity of the community.

“Our partnership with Greenville Water is a really important component of our environmental education program. The Water Story exhibit will not only function as a fun, interactive experience for public visitors, but it will also be the centerpiece of new lessons for students exploring RMSC on field trips by discovering the science curriculum subjects of the diversity of life, ecosystems and living systems,” said Weeks.

Encouraging sustainability in education

The partnership with RMSC and Greenville County Schools extends beyond the Sustainability Center to encompass RMSC’s Science PLUS Program and Summer Exploration Camps. These programs include chemistry, science, engineering, robotics and more and cover an array of activities that create hands-on experiences with real-world connections that make learning simultaneously challenging and fun. Greenville Water provides reusable water bottles to the K4 through grade 9 program and camp attendees, reaffirming its mission to provide quality water and a sustainable future for the upstate.

“Greenville Water has been sponsoring our camp water bottles for several years,” said Weeks. “Thanks to their generosity, we have been able to provide more than 10,000 reusable water bottles to summer campers, staff and volunteers. That is the equivalent of more than 50,000 single-use plastic bottles. We love this real-life application of sustainable living!”

STEMFest provides another opportunity for Greenville Water and RMSC to come together to serve the community at the science center, offering a variety of demonstrations and hands-on STEM/STEAM activities. It is also a great place for Greenville Water employees to directly share their passion for science, technology, engineering and math career opportunities with children and the community.

There are many other ways in which Greenville Water promotes environmental education. Last year Greenville Water delivered more than 60 puzzles to sixth-grade classrooms throughout Greenville County to help teach students about the water cycle. In addition, Greenville Water hosts water treatment plant tours, speaking about water to students of all ages, both in and out of the traditional classroom.

In addition to sponsoring significant initiatives in the areas of environmental awareness, conservation, water education and STEM education, Greenville Water extends its positive public outreach efforts throughout the county, further demonstrating a commitment to community support through financial contributions and community service.

Engaging community members to be active participants in these partnerships is essential to Greenville Water, creating an environment that is safer, healthier and better prepared for future growth. Are there opportunities for partnership within your community that you could support through your time and resources?

Greenville Water is committed to partnering with local organizations in meeting the educational and environmental needs that face our growing community.