By Alexandra Sanders, Register Staff
asanders@nhregister.com

MADISON — When environmentalist Ruthanna Terreri was 8 years old, she tried to stop the woods near her New Jersey home from being torn down by protesting in front of bulldozers.

This month, she is launching a new brand of water that she hopes will help solve the world’s water crisis.

Terreri, 49, president and founder of the nonprofit Hope Water Foundation in town, has been working for two years to design H2ope water, the profits of which will go to organizations that establish clean water resources locally and overseas.

The bottles and water will come from Grand Springs in Alton, Va.

“Very few Americans seem to be aware that we are running out of water. We take it for granted that we will always be able to turn on our taps and have fresh, clean water come out,” she said.

Terreri said that states such as Texas are struggling with droughts, and Los Angeles has a reservoir in which the water becomes nearly carcinogenic when the sun hits.

“If you put all of the Earth’s water into a bucket, a teaspoon would be drinkable,” said Terreri. “The rest is salt water and the small amount of water we have is becoming stressed with the growing population and the climate changing.”

The proceeds of her new brand will go to organizations such as Charity: Water and Water for People to build sustainable wells and ensure that those in need have access to clean water, Terreri said.

She said that there are other products that are made with a similar idea in mind, but only H2ope will donate all its proceeds nationally and internationally, and help the Earth stay green.

“We wanted to take what they started and do it bigger,” said Terreri. “The bottle is 100 percent biodegradable and made with 25 percent recyclable plastic. It’s not just a health issue; it’s an environmental issue.” Continued...

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The idea is to encourage people already buying bottled water to ditch their brand loyalty and make the switch so they can be part of the solution.

“It will be the investment of all Americans who are seeking to extend their own green initiatives by making these choices in consumer products,” said Walter Maguire Jr., the foundation’s first major donor.

Andrew Ruben, co-founder of Blue State Coffee of New Haven, also became a pivotal part of the equation when he was the first to agree to carry the product in his stores.

“Hope Water is such a compelling idea because it promises more than just ‘painless giving.’ It educates the consumer about water safety issues in the United States and around the world,” he said. “It connects the consumer to the less fortunate through the shared experience: a shared need of water.”

By the end of this month, people will be able to find H2ope in stores around New Haven and Hartford counties, and Terreri hopes to see the product in stores statewide by the end of June. It will sell for $1.50 to $2.

Call Alexandra Sanders at 203-789-5714. Follow us on Twitter @nhregister.

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