Veolia Water Technologies by GineersNow Engineering Magazine GineersNow Engineering Magazine September 2016 | Page 54

WATER FOR PEOPLE: BRINGING SAFE WATER AND SANITATION TO 4 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS 9 COUNTRIES and thriving, instead of walking for water and fighting off illness.” GineersNow conducted an exclusive interview with Eleanor Allen, the CEO of Water For People. THE PERSON “1.8 billion people around the world don't have access to safe water and 2.4 billion lack access to adequate sanitation. Women and children spend more than 4 hours walking for water each day, and more than 840,000 people die each year from water-related diseases.” Water For People aims to change this bleak statistic. As they said on their website, they want to “see communities break free from the cycle of poverty and spend time growing, learning, 54 SEPTEMBER 2016 Clean Water Technologies Eleanor Allen has been working in the water sector for 24 years. She is a registered professional civil engineer and a board certified environmental engineer. Before becoming the CEO of Water for People, she was the Global Director of Water at ARCADIS, the Latin America Director of Water at CH2M, and a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. THE COMPANY Water For People is a nonprofit organization that has been around for 25 years. They envision a world where every person has access to reliable and safe drinking water and Technologies to make processes more efficient, conserve water, and improve water quality are all being continuously developed and we are on track. sanitation. Their mission is to promote the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services, accessible to all, and sustained by active communities, businesses, and governments. Their values center on demonstrating integrity in everything that they do: Accountability, Courage, Empowerment, Partnership, and Transparency. GN: Where is this company headed? What are your future expansion plans? Describe your strategic goals briefly. Allen: In 10 years, we plan to have a complete infrastructure and establish services for 7 million people; as well as grow our advisory & social enterprises. In 29 years, we'll act extensively in an advisory capacity for sustainable operations &