Wal-Mart partners with beverage suppliers to provide water to Flint, Mich., schools

Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo have joined up with Wal-Mart Stores to provide 6.5 million bottles of drinking water for approximately 10,000 students in Flint schools amid the ongoing water crisis in that large Michigan city.

The retail giant said the water translates to 176 truckloads over the year.

“The water crisis is personal to us here in Flint. Those affected include our own associates, customers and their families,” said Beth Harris, store manager at Walmart, Flint, Mich. Our associates are proud to be a part of the effort to help our friends and neighbors.”

Wal-Mart said it has already donated 14 trucks of water, or 504,000 bottles, and 1,792 water filters to the Flint community since July 2015. Coca-Cola has donated nearly 78,720 bottles of Dasani to local food banks and foundations and to approximately 40 associates living in the affected area. Nestlé Waters North America has already donated five truckloads, or more than 190,000 bottles, to Flint community organizations since October 2015. PepsiCo has donated almost 95,000 bottles of water to Flint and the families of the company’s employees over the past four months.

“We’re working to ensure that the children of Flint, the city’s most vulnerable citizens, have access to safe water,” said Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of Corporate Affairs for Walmart.

He said these companies are encouraging others to join the support for the Flint community by working with Good360, where nonprofits in Flint post their needs online.

“We are grateful for Walmart and their suppliers’ support during this crisis,” said Bilal Tawwab, Flint Community Schools Superintendent. “With their generous support, District students will have access to clean drinking water, and more importantly, the ability to focus on their education.”