The first year of Unite for Water has given us plenty to celebrate. Across five participating Rotary districts, clubs came together to protect our waterways, promote clean water, educate their communities, and create meaningful impact locally and around the world.
73 projects were reported during our first year!
Behind every project were Rotarians who saw a need, built partnerships, and took action. Together, these projects demonstrate what is possible when we work collectively toward a common goal.
Making an Impact
The projects submitted represented an incredible range of ideas and community needs.
In Sioux Falls, Rotary clubs joined together for a Big Sioux River cleanup with a reported reach of 222,000 people. In Rapid City, Rotary and community partners came together for an Earth Day Water & Community Cleanup reaching an estimated 100,000 people.
In Bismarck, Rotary's Keep Bismarck Beautiful project brought organizations, businesses, Scouts, and community members together to remove trash from neighborhoods and the Missouri River.
Clubs also focused on preventing pollution and protecting local water resources. Owatonna Rotary partnered with the City of Owatonna on an Adopt-a-Drain initiative, working toward the adoption of 300 of the city's 3,000 storm drains.
The impact extended beyond our local communities as well. Eagan Noon Rotary supported a clean-water and healthcare laboratory project in Ghana impacting nearly 19,300 people, while White Bear Lake Rotary supported WASH kiosks providing clean-water access to communities and a school in Burkina Faso, reaching more than 2,500 people.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Unite for Water was also about education.
The Rotary Club of Staples engaged 70 third-grade students in an Earth Day water education project, helping young people understand where their water comes from and how they can help protect this important resource.
These projects show that water stewardship isn't just about what we do today—it's about creating a lasting commitment to our water resources for generations to come.
Thank You!
The success of Year One would not have been possible without every Rotary club and Rotarian who participated.
Thank you to everyone who organized a cleanup, adopted a storm drain, educated students, supported clean-water initiatives, raised funds, recruited volunteers, or found another creative way to make an impact.
And thank you to the community partners, schools, businesses, nonprofits, municipalities, and organizations that joined Rotary in this important work.
Year Two Is Bigger!
The momentum is growing.
This year, six Rotary districts will participate in Unite for Water, representing approximately 331 Rotary clubs and 12,400 Rotarians—including 13 Rotaract clubs.
That's an incredible opportunity to expand our collective impact.
So let's keep going. Continue the projects that are making a difference. Start new ones. Build partnerships. Engage your communities. And share your stories.
Every clean river. Every protected lake. Every student educated. Every storm drain adopted. Every person gaining access to safe water.
Individually, these efforts make a difference. Together, they create lasting impact.
Unite for Water. Unite for Impact. Let's make Year Two even stronger!