Brewers for Clean Water
What's At Stake
You can’t make great beer without clean water.

Not only is clean water critical for our health and our economy—it’s essential to making a great-tasting pint. That’s why more than 100 breweries have joined NRDC’s fight to protect the Clean Water Act. Brewers for Clean Water (BFCW) advocate for measures that safeguard their water sources from upstream pollution and keep waterways clean for their downstream neighbors.
Brewers for Clean Water members include craft breweries from all over the United States. By participating in the BFCW campaign, members have the opportunity to support smart, responsible policies and speak directly to lawmakers, the media, and their customers about the importance of clean water for good beer.
One major fight of the BFCW campaign is to save the Clean Water Rule, which clarifies the scope of the 1972 Clean Water Act and protects vulnerable waterways from pollution and destruction. Brewers for Clean Water members were instrumental in persuading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt this important rule. Now they’re working hard against efforts to weaken protections.
Join us in raising a glass to the craft brewers speaking out in support of clean water.
Learn More
Reporting, expert commentary, analysis, and more.
136
Brewery partners have joined the BFCW initiative so far.
“We need reliable sources of clean water... Thanks in part to this important natural resource, the craft brewing industry contributes about $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy each year, along with 456,000 jobs.”
90%
The amount of water in an average beer—which is why water’s pH and mineral content play such important roles in a beer’s quality.
Coal-burning power plants are by far the largest source of toxic water pollution in the United States, including heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, selenium, and lead.
Become a Brewer for Clean Water
Add your brewery to NRDC’s Brewers for Clean Water and join the movement for cleaner water and better beer!