'We work on Clean, Swimmable, Drinkable and Sustainable Water for all'
Wavemakers United envisions a future where clean, safe, and sufficient water is globally accessible.
We support the growth of global movements for transforming urban water ways and accelerate waterway restoration and water quality.
Together with The Swimmable Cities and Drinkable river foundation we aim to transform urban and rural water systems into safe, clean, and sustainable resources for recreation and consumption. Inspired by success stories like the Seine in Paris (swimmable) and citizen-led drinkable river initiatives in Europe, this integration seeks to build a unified framework to scale these concepts globally.
Upcoming related events 2025
- 22-24 June
- Rotterdam, NL
Across three days we will witness their urban waterway transformation first hand, while connecting to the latest trends, insights and breakthrough innovations from cities around the world.
- 22 Arpil -23 May
- France, Belgium, Netherlands
In 30 days The Drinkable River Foundation will walk from the source of the Scheldt to its mouth in the North Sea, over 360km.
You can join the full walk, or just parts!
“By using sport as a platform, we hope to make a bigger impact and realize sustainable changes in local communities”
This joined movement to transform urban and rural water systems is the legacy of our 3rd ‘Future is Now’ event.
Hosting this event during the Paralympic Games was a unique opportunity to make the connection between water, nutrition and sport. Through inspiration sessions and a World Café held by athletes and students, innovative ideas were discussed and shared to improve swimmability in cities through public pools and clean public waters.
In March 2025 our Future is Now event got followed up and we participated in the (Re)Connecting River and City conference, hosted by Carola Hein, IEA de Paris (Paris Institute for Advanced Study) and Sorbonne University.
Together with global experts we explored the future of water and heritage, leading us to avtiviely partner up with Swimmable cities and use the power of sports and recreation for urban waterway restoration.
Innovation and research
Urban and rural water innovation platform:
- We promote technical and social innovations for clean water systems in cities and villages.
- We explore the best practices from initiatives like the Drinkable Rivers movement in Europe.
- We study technical solutions (e.g., natural filtration)
Case study integration:
- We apply knowledge from Paris ( Seine), Singapore (urban water transformation), and the Maas River (Drinkable River Initiative) to new locations like Indonesia, Amsterdam, and New York.
Education:
- We develop interactive guest lectures on swimmable and drinkable water systems.
Related news
Paris: (Re)Connecting River and City Conference
Back to Paris for follow up 'Future is Now' event!
First Swimmable Cities Summit!
