This week, at the 27th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Swedish water purification company Bluewater made a powerful appeal for the Olympic community to embrace transformative hydration solutions. Their call to action addresses the deteriorating quality of tap water and the escalating harm caused by single-use plastic pollution.
The announcement came in tandem with the introduction of a new four-year partnership between ANOC and Bluewater. This partnership reflects a shared vision of driving advanced water purification technology to provide sustainable, accessible, and health-conscious drinking water to the world of sport.
Philip Russell, Chief Purpose Officer at Bluewater Group, said: “Access to clean and sustainable drinking water is fundamentally intertwined with the international sporting community.”
“Athletes can’t train and compete effectively without proper hydration, and now with the worrying trend of contaminants appearing in municipal tap water supplies and the growing concerns related to the health impacts of micro-plastic pollution, there is an urgent need to evolve our approach by which we provide drinking water for athletes, teams, staff, and volunteers.”
For over ten years, Bluewater has led the way in developing industry-leading water purification systems that eliminate more than 99% of contaminants from local water sources. This process removes the need to import bottled water to events. Bluewater’s reverse osmosis technology filters out harmful substances, such as heavy metals, parasites, viruses, micro-plastics, and toxic chemicals like PFAS. Once purified, the water is remineralised and chilled, offering a delicious, eco-friendly hydration solution. Refillable Bluewater stainless steel bottles, designed to last a lifetime, provide an ideal alternative to disposable plastic bottles.
Gunilla Lindberg, Secretary General of ANOC, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration: “ANOC is committed to sustainability and to providing a platform for National Olympic Committees to share and exchange best practices on this critical subject. We recognise that technologies are fast evolving and we are excited by the scope of Bluewater’s water purification solutions for athletes, staff events and venues. Our partnership with Bluewater will help us in achieving our own pledge to minimise our carbon footprint while promoting effective pathways to avoid plastic pollution.”
Global trust in tap water is waning. A 2024 study in Nature Communications showed that over half of adults in 141 countries feared their drinking water could cause harm within two years. This eroding confidence has driven the widespread use of bottled water, with some 600 billion plastic bottles consumed worldwide annually.
However, the United Nations Development Programme reports that only around 9% of plastic waste is recycled. Most of the rest ends up in landfills, is incinerated, or seeps into the environment, polluting waterways and oceans. Concerns are mounting about the potential health impacts of ingesting micro-plastic particles and related chemical contaminants.
In his plenary session at the General Assembly, Philip Russell highlighted Bluewater’s mission to revolutionise global access to clean, sustainable drinking water using advanced technology. “We stand at a pivotal moment for the future of our planet and the health of our athletes,” he said.
“Through this exciting new partnership with ANOC, we can help pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable approach to drinking water delivery that respects both our bodies and our environment.”
Ellie Aldridge, Bluewater’s Global Brand Ambassador and Olympic gold medallist in Women’s Kite at the 2024 Paris Games, also attended the General Assembly. Having experienced the environmental damage caused by single-use plastic pollution while competing on the world’s oceans, Ellie now works with Bluewater to raise awareness and drive change towards sustainable hydration across the sports sector. Delegates at the Cascais venue were given the opportunity to experience Bluewater’s purification systems and taste the locally purified water.
Through this partnership, Bluewater and ANOC hope to inspire athletes and sports bodies to adopt sustainable hydration practices, utilise refillable bottles, and promote a new approach to water consumption. Together, they aim to change perceptions around tap water safety globally, showing that, with appropriate purification technologies, it can be a reliable source of hydration.
