Watermill Express donated over 100 million gallons of clean water to the developing world through World Vision
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition June 2017
Don and Lani Dolifka became passionate about providing safe drinking water back in the 1980s. At that time, their local monthly water bill warned pregnant women and infants under the age of six months not to drink the water.
Because of these issues, Lani and Don, with the help of family and friends, developed a miniature water purification kiosk in 1984. The kiosk took municipal water and produced high quality drinking water at an affordable price. Starting with this first location, the company’s focus has always been – and will continue to be – providing safe drinking water.
Watermill Express is the largest drive-up pure drinking water and ice company in the nation and the green alternative to prepackaged water. Customers reuse their own clean containers to reduce pollution from single-use plastic water bottles.
Watermill Express has a growing presence in the Rio Grande Valley with more than 200 locations and strong involvement in community events such as the McAllen Lemonade Day and the American Heart Association “Jump Rope for Heart” events.
When they opened the first location, they did not have plans to expand beyond the needs of their small community. However, they quickly discovered there were other areas of the country that also needed access to safe, affordable drinking water. Because of this need, they created Watermill Express and have tied it to consistent giveback efforts.
There are over 200 Watermill Express stations in the Rio Grande Valley, and more than 1,300 locations nationwide. The company has a team of 35 in the Rio Grande Valley and 350, total nationwide.
It is important mention that the company has a writing contest, which is a partnership with H-E-B, which awards fourth graders laptops for their essay submissions. And the recent launch of the second annual Guppy Tank Contest challenges Rio Grande Valley students to become young entrepreneurs.
Because of the company’s commitment to the community, it has become a staple that residents can count on. Watermill Express also partners with local organizations such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Rio Grande Valley Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society and more.
In fact, Watermill Express has donated millions of gallons of water, and has raised awareness about safe drinking water issues on a national scale, educating the public on the negative environmental impact of plastic single-serve water bottles.
In 2016, Watermill Express donated over 100 million gallons of clean water to the developing world through World Vision. And, this year, it launched the largest social media campaign for safe drinking water awareness in the United States through the Clean Water Here initiative. Celebrities used the hashtag #CleanWaterHere on UN World Water Day (March 22) which connected with more than 750 million people.
Today, there are more than 1,300 Watermill Express locations across Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, serving thousands of customers daily. Plus, Watermill Express is continuing to expand, and its growth includes the implementation of the pure, clean Waterocks® Ice concept.
The uniqueness about this business according to Don and Lani, starts with the Watermill Express 12-Step Water Perfection Program.
The program makes sure that Watermill Express water is treated with the utmost care, including steps that reduce or remove bacteria, algae, nitrates, arsenic, lead, and harmful chemicals like pesticides.
Each of the stations is computer monitored 24/7 and physically serviced multiple times during the week to ensure a high-quality product at an affordable price.
Our stations automatically shut down if our water ever exceeds 50 ppm in total dissolved solids. In addition, every location is tested by a state certified lab. Our staff of trained technicians do a great job making sure we are providing the very best pure drinking water and ice at all times.
The uniqueness continues with the company’s commitment to giving back to the communities it serves, as well as the environment. A huge part of the Watermill Express business model is to reduce single-use plastic water bottles.
According to the Water Project, it is estimated that over 80% of plastic water bottles used in the United States simply become litter, and only 1 out of every 5 plastic bottles are even recyclable in the first place. This means over 2 million tons of plastic water bottles are discarded in U.S. landfills, substantially impacting plastic pollution in the environment.
For 30 years Watermill Express has sponsored community events that support children and families in the Rio Grande Valley.
But they don’t stop there, Watermill Express has supported The ARISE Organization, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, South Texas Senior Summit, McAllen’s Chamber of Commerce, AISD, Harlingen’s Chamber of Commerce, RGV Diabetes Association, RGV school districts and other local Chamber of Commerce groups.
The company is always looking to explore new events to attend and community groups to connect with in order to make a difference locally.
One of their concerns is that their technology is so unique that it can sometimes be difficult to educate regulators and policy makers on how our filtration system works. We are a viable option for communities that need safe drinking water.
Don and Lani pointed out that although they consider it a privilege to provide safe water and ice to the community, they are concerned about the number of unregulated contaminants in our country’s drinking water supply. That’s why Watermill Express is also very invested in clean water advocacy and raising awareness of water issues domestically and abroad.
Their plans, for the immediate and long-range future, are to continue to provide safe drinking water and Waterocks® ice to the Rio Grande Valley, while also adding new stations locally.
Both agree that Watermill Express wouldn’t be where it is today without the valuable support of the people around them. They recognize that is their success. TBB
