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PepsiCo offers a $1.2 m grant for protecting water resources of Guadalupe River Basin
PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) and Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) announced the awarding of a $1.2 million grant to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA), the Texas entity focused on developing, conserving, and protecting the water resources of the Guadalupe River Basin.
This is a step towards PepsiCo’s ambitious effort to become Net Water Positive by 2030, which includes reducing absolute water use and replenishing back into the local watershed more than 100% of the water used at company-owned and third-party sites in high-water-risk areas.
The investment will fund the replacement of two 60-year-old Goff Bayou radial gates, a deteriorating control structure located in the Guadalupe River designed to regulate periodic flooding and high tides. As a result, replacing the radial gates will reduce leakage and loss in the water supply system, improving the efficiency of service to the nearly 20,000 residents of Calhoun County, Texas, as well as the businesses, irrigation and wildlife areas in the approximately 10,000 square miles surrounding the basin.
Upon completion – anticipated to be January 2023 – the project will have conserved an estimated 840 million to 1.81 billion gallons of freshwater per year in the diversion canal system.
The structure’s resiliency to withstand extreme weather conditions and climate variability will be enhanced, helping diminish the chances of saltwater intrusion, and nearly eliminate the need to shut down the Main Pump Station pumps for extended periods of time, which can result in additional waste.
“We’re proud to be partnering with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in its commitment to conserving the local water supply that thousands of residents depend on every day,” said Jason Blake, Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP at PepsiCo Beverages North America.
“Replenishing regional water supplies is a crucial element of tracking toward our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) goal of becoming net water positive by 2030, specifically in areas where our company operates. With several company facilities relying on water from the San Antonio River Basin, we have a tremendous interest to help replenish the water supply and protect the natural landscape and biodiversity of the Guadalupe River Basin.”
This investment is a part of PepsiCo’s North American Water Replenishment program that brings together the expertise of PBNA and FLNA to scale investment and impact of water replenishment projects where facilities are co-located in water scarce areas.
“The increased frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes along with rising sea levels has placed a growing burden on our water supplies here in Texas,” said Kevin Patteson, General Manager and CEO of GBRA. “PepsiCo’s investment in reviving the service life of the Goff Bayou gate structure has offered both an immediate solution for conserving water better in problematic areas, while ensuring a resilient operating mechanism that will support our efforts to protect this precious resource for another 50 years.”
As part of its pep+ end-to-end business transformation that puts sustainability at the heart of PepsiCo’s business, the company recognizes that watershed health and giving back water the company has used is critical to the continuity of business, and the health of communities it serves.
PBNA and FLNA each have one facility in San Antonio, both located within the drainage area of the San Antonio Watershed.
“Building a more sustainable food system is a critical part of the Frito-Lay business strategy, and water supply and quality are crucial components of our operation. PepsiCo businesses have a large presence in San Antonio and throughout Texas, which makes improvement of the overall water health of the San Antonio Watershed a key priority,” said David Allen, Vice President of Sustainability, PepsiCo Foods North America. “We are committed to continuing our efforts to eliminate unnecessary water usage from our operations with a goal of reducing our water intensity year-over-year.”
The GBRA partnership contributes to PepsiCo’s goal of replenishing more than 100% of the water used at high-water-risk sites by 2030. In 2020 PepsiCo replenished more than 3.2 billion liters of water into local watersheds around the world by working in collaboration with local and international partners and stakeholders. Globally PepsiCo is driving multiple initiatives to help improve overall ecosystem health and biodiversity, including groundwater recharge, reforestation, landscape restoration and biodiversity improvements and wetlands restoration.
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