It may not have any immediate bottom-line implications, but at World Water Week in Stockholm, ITT, one of the world’s largest and most influential engineering firms in the world declared that businesses worldwide need to invest more heavily in water distribution and reclamation efforts.

Without any immediate profit gain, it might at first appear ITT was simply making a humanitarian appeal to its contemporaries, but, as the president of ITT’s fluid technology business stressed, “The benefits of sustainable water management will be felt across society and around the world, through healthier populations and stronger economies.”

As key participants in these economies, both local and international firms have a tremendous monetary incentive to provide clean water. It allows a healthy workforce, which leads to more hours of productivity, and lowers costs on company health insurance plans.  

While any number of non-profit organizations are attempting to improve local water supplies, involvement by commercial enterprises will streamline operations, leading to more advanced and efficient water purification and distribution processes.

By setting out its own three-million-dollar investment in clean water for schools in Asia and Latin America, ITT has made an important first step in getting large corporations invested in the wider health of the communities they employ.