Water conservation is man’s mission
TULSA — Noah Roberts needs an audience to hear his message.
Plastic water bottles are bad for the environment. Clean purified water can be made available at sites all over Tulsa.
“But you have to reach people with that message,” said Roberts. “So, you look for ways to bring people in to hear your message.”
Roberts, founder of The Water Co., is starting to reach his target audience, young adults to college and high school students, with a variety of ideas.
The Water Co. has sponsored cornhole tournaments, the backyard game made even more popular through football tailgating, and dance parties.
The upper deck of the Boxyard, the new shopping area in the East Village area of downtown Tulsa, is often full of folks playing cornhole or hanging out.
“That’s the point,” said Roberts. “When I first graduated from college I worked for Apple. So, I learned very quick that thinking outside the box is OK. We weren’t using paper at Apple more than 20 years ago.
“I know ideas can be a powerful thing but you have to reach people.”
Roberts’ idea is to spread the idea of purified water filling stations all over Tulsa and a majority of population with refillable water bottles. Crazy? Not possible? It is already happening. In just the first five months of business, The Water Co. is making money. “That’s far ahead of what we expected this early in the plan,” said Roberts.
The company has sold “thousands of water bottles” and recently installed several “filling stations” for reusable water bottles at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. Roberts’ son, Jack, came up with the idea of cornhole tournaments and dance parties. Jack is a senior at Booker T. Washington.
“Kids our age and college age kids are very receptive to this idea of water conservation and not polluting the planet with plastic bottles,” said Jack Roberts. “Honestly, when we have these events, kids seem to be fired up to help the planet. They are more open to new ideas.”
One of the target markets for The Water Co. is to set up college and high school campuses with water bottle filling stations. The same approach can be done in large corporations.
“Imagine how many plastic water bottles we can save from the landfill just by setting up these filling stations on every college and high school campus in the metropolitan Tulsa area,” said Roberts. “Plus, this is the audience out there most likely to adapt to the reusable bottle or cup.
“From there, it will spread. Kids growing up doing this will become adults doing this. You have to start somewhere.”
Thus, the start for Roberts’ big vision is a small store in downtown with an occasional cornhole game going out front.
“Why not filling station stops all along the river parks,” said Roberts. “People could refill their water bottles at certain points along the trail.
“It can happen. I’m an optimist. And, I have a passion for this. I’m encouraged. We’re new but we’re seeing people all ages come into the shop and talk with us about our vision. You should spend the day with me. You see all ages and shapes in here. Everybody can help make earth better for our future.”