Waste Not
Shock Top, Indiegogo Partner to Shock the California Drought

If you’re concerned about the recent drought but feel lost on how you can lessen your personal water use, a new initiative promises to help. Anheuser Busch’s Shock Top Brewing Co. is partnering with Indiegogo to identify, fund and distribute water-saving innovations that can help California residents reduce their water consumption.

Through its “Shock the Drought” campaign, Shock Top will donate each month to innovative water-conservation projects on Indiegogo’s fundraising platform. First up: Drop-A-Brick 2.0, maker of a rubber brick that sits in a toilet’s tank to save water. According to Shock Top, 30,000 Drop-A-Bricks in toilets will save enough water for nearly half-a-million people to drink water for an entire year.

Drop-A-Brick 2.0 reacted to Shock Top’s donation with elation: “Holy crap! Just when we thought we couldn't Drop-A-Brick in any more toilets, Shock Top and IndieGoGo dropped in to save the day!” Now we're back in business,” reads its campaign page.

ShockTop says it was inspired to take action for water conservation in part because it brews its beers in California.

“As a beer brewed in California, we at Shock Top think this drought sucks, too,” the company says on the Shock the Drought website. “That’s why we’re partnering with Indiegogo to fund new water-saving inventions, delivering them straight to Californians at low or no cost via nonprofits all across the state.”

Consumers can also discover water saving tips on the website: “If inventioning isn’t your thing, you can still do your part by pledging to adopt some of our water-saving ideas. Just scroll down and you’re in business. The drought-fighting business. And business is good.”

A recent survey conducted by Shock Top found that California residents are ready to take on a role in fighting the drought since the mandatory water restrictions were implemented. 47 percent of those surveyed feel a greater responsibility to help the state and a vast majority (88 percent) make an effort to conserve water on average five times per day.

Nearly all (96 percent) Californians have done at least something to reduce their water usage, including taking shorter showers (74 percent), rewearing clothes before washing (48 percent) or even flushing the toilet less often (48 percent). Still, one in two Californians report that they'd like to find even more ways to conserve water.

"We love the State of California,” said Shock Top VP Jake Kirsch. “In fact, one out of every four Shock Tops are enjoyed in the state, and we want to help by bringing our innovative thinking and unique brand spirit to rally support and make a positive impact on this very serious issue. Working together, we can Shock the Drought by sharing great ideas, pledging support and funding new inventions, and we're excited to lead this charge."

To broaden awareness of its efforts, Shock Top has also partnered with news platform Water Deeply; California's statewide conservation education program, Save Our Water; Los Angeles water education program Save the Drop; and the Solano County Water Agency to provide tips, information and educational materials for the Shock the Drought campaign.

Shock Top’s campaign adds to the list of companies that recognize their role in alleviating California’s drought and are investing in water-saving technologies. And a Water/Energy Nexus Hackathon co-sponsored by Smart H2O Summit will take place later this month in San Francisco, gathering students, professionals and enthusiasts to develop methods to understand and manage the relationship between water and energy.