The Importance of Water: An Interview With Ovivo’s Team

In 2021, Ovivo and the One Drop Foundation announced a new partnership with a goal to improve sustainable access to safe water in regions affected by the global water crisis. Since then, the two like-minded Canadian-based organizations have worked together to promote the value of safe and accessible water through an employee-centric program. The objective of this initiative is to increase awareness and engagement around global water-related challenges that have an impact on health, education, and human and economic development. Today, we’re interviewing Ovivo employees from all around the world, to hear what they have to say about the importance of water.

As an employee of Ovivo, what role does water play in your daily work life? What special importance do you attach to it?

Water is highly important to me. Growing up in a very dry location, where the water level in the reservoirs is a daily conversation in the summertime and something that is discussed along with the weather each day, you realize just how important every drop of water we get from precipitation is. It’s critical to sustaining our communities, agriculture, and the environment. In addition, Ovivo is water treatment; our livelihoods revolve around water care in our everyday business, all day.
– Trevor Auman, Engineering Manager – Innovation – Engineering, Utah, USA

Water has a great importance in my work life, and its importance has doubled since the pandemic. Indeed, I feel very lucky to have sufficient access to clean water to do something as simple as wash my hands regularly. I’m also confronted with the reality of people lacking access to clean water everywhere, and this makes me conscious of inequalities. I never fear of lacking water, nor do I need to leave the office or my home to get clean drinking water.
– Laurence Ouellet-Boivin, Intern ESG – Legal, Québec, Canada

Given the major challenges affecting our planet, what role do you think organizations like Ovivo and the One Drop Foundation should play to protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods?

At Ovivo, we work to meet these challenges – and what has stood out to me is how holistic solutions need to be. Solutions need to produce high-quality water treatment and be economic and user friendly while depleting as few resources as possible. To achieve this, I think it’s important to have organizations like Ovivo and the One Drop Foundation to facilitate multidisciplinary teams across countries and cultures.
– Henriette Binderup, R&D, Denmark

We all need to be aware of the amount of water we use and, in the UK, we are lucky enough to have safe, clean drinking water on tap. I’m encouraged that Ovivo and the One Drop Foundation are playing their part in securing this for others not so fortunate.
– Ruth Baker, Procurement Specialist – Purchasing, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

What role can you personally play to have a positive impact on the world in the face of inequality and lack of access to basic resources for so many people?

I am part of a team of professional engineers who can help to find solutions to provide clean water and sanitation to communities that need it. We can also donate to worthy causes that work to provide clean and safe drinking water to communities that don’t have the resources necessary to clean their own water supply.
– Peter Nicholls, QHSE Manager – Health & Safety, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Support and help our clients and communities around us to understand more about our business and our technology in accessing safe water.
– Fisher Xue, Engineering Manager – Detail Design Engineering, Shanghai, China

How do you feel knowing that your employer is aligned with a cause that focuses on ensuring sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in communities facing extreme barriers?

It makes all the difference. I don’t think I would be here without it. I enjoy the business aspects of what I do, I understand the need to be profitable, but that is not enough. Knowing that Ovivo (and SKion) has an interest beyond this is special and, I think, unique. It makes me proud to be part of it.
– Tom Leland, General Manager, Utah, USA

I am very proud to be part of an organization that is putting resources and effort into such a meaningful and important cause.
– Angela Scheideman, EHS Manager – Health & Safety, Alberta, Canada