The Ripple Effect Turning a simple idea into clean water for millions worldwide.

Duncan Goose's journey to founding One Water began with a harrowing encounter with disaster. In 1998, while traveling on a motorcycle, he found himself in the heart of Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest storms in history. The devastation he witnessed—particularly the widespread lack of access to clean drinking water—left an indelible mark on him. Struck by the scale of the crisis and its impact on vulnerable communities, Goose returned to his life in marketing with a new sense of purpose. In 2005, driven by the desire to make a tangible difference, he launched One Water, a social enterprise committed to funding clean water projects in the developing world. What started as a response to tragedy has since grown into a movement that has raised millions and helped transform the lives of millions more.

Since its inception, One Water has raised over £30 million, funding initiatives that have improved the lives of more than 5 million people. Despite facing the complexities of balancing business growth with social impact, Duncan's vision has remained clear: to ensure that clean water reaches those who need it most. As the company nears its 20th anniversary, Duncan reflects on the broader evolution of ethical business and consumer attitudes toward sustainability. His journey proves that business can be a powerful tool for social change, turning a simple idea into a global force for good. One Water's success continues to demonstrate the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship in transforming lives worldwide.

What inspired you to launch One Water, and what challenges did you face in the early days of building a brand with such a strong ethical mission?

I left an account director role at a marketing agency in 1998 to motorcycle around the world. During that trip many things happened, not least that I was caught in Hurricane Mitch in Honduras - a natural disaster responsible for killing 20,000 people. I witnessed the devastating effects post-event too, people living in temporary accommodation without access to clean drinking water and having their livelihoods destroyed. Having returned back to my marketing career role in 2000, I felt that I owed something back to the world, but wasn't quite sure in what form, or how to do it. The realisation came in December 2003 when I saw a photograph in The Guardian newspaper of a young girl sitting next to a padlocked water tap in Kibera, Africa's largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya. That photo was taken by award winning AFP photo journalist, Marco Longari. The photo, with my experience in a disaster zone, inspired me to start One Water to raise funds to help people across the world gain access to safe, clean water. Next year we're celebrating our 20th anniversary and over £30 million raised. It was a great honour that Marco and I went back to Kibera many years later and, incredibly, we were able to track down Ann, the girl who inspired it all.

One Water has made a significant impact by funding water projects worldwide. How do you measure the success of your social mission, and how do you balance this with the company's financial goals?

The brand was called One, because I set out to change one person's life, one day at a time. The fact that we've now changed the lives of over 5 million people is something I never thought would be possible. For me - it's simply about seeing those numbers tick up. Every life is important and every day we change someone else's. Along that journey, we also change the lives of our team and our customers - some of whom get to see the impact in person. It's always a very humbling experience. The challenge, as I often explain to the team when they ask about business priorities, is that I really want to have my cake and eat it. This is usually met by a rolling of the eyes….and then they get on with it. But, in all seriousness, it's always a juggle - trying to balance the needs of the business to grow as well as donate the funds we do is tough.

As a business owner, you've witnessed both the growth of the ethical consumer movement and the evolution of the bottled water industry. How do you think consumer attitudes towards sustainability and ethical businesses have changed over the past two decades?

From a consumer perspective, it's always a degree of 'what I say versus what I do in reality' and from a trade perspective it's always 'we love the halo, but we don't want to pay for it.'

The core of ethical consumers has always been there - but as Kantar show's in their 'Who Cares, Who Does' annual survey - it's growing. It continues to grow, except during a cost of living crisis when it rapidly declines, but I think consumers are generally on board of doing good, as long as we - the producers - make it simple for them and we don't overly penalise them financially. The Co-op used to do a great bit of research which showed the growth in ethical brands by value - given they were the original pioneers of 'good' all the way back to 1844, it's been a long journey - but every generation makes the world a little bit better.

The ethical bottled water market has grown increasingly competitive. What strategies have you employed to maintain One Water's position as a leader in this space, and how do you differentiate your brand from others?

I don't think it has become more competitive to be honest. When we started out it was us, Belu, Frank Water, later to be joined by Thirsty Planet and Life Water. It's the same gang today. The strategies and ownership may have changed but the mission remains the same for all of us - to bring clean water to those who need it most. I admire all of them for different reasons, they have their niche to fill and whilst occasionally there is a bit of healthy competition, it's rarely problematic. We are not the cheapest, but we're proud of what we are achieving on the ethics front if you look under the skin of things.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for One Water in the next five years, and are there any exciting new initiatives or partnerships on the horizon that you're particularly excited about?

Five years from now takes us to 2030 and the end of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) - I was in Addis when they were being negotiated and in New York when they were being signed. It feels like a good time for me to bow out and let younger members of the team take over - we've given away £30 million and changed over 5 million people's lives. Even if that didn't change in the next 5 years, I'd be pretty proud of what we'd achieved. As to partnerships, yes, a very exciting one is in the pipeline, but it's a little way off being made public. Tune in next year!

As Duncan looks ahead to the future, he remains committed to ensuring that the work of One Water continues to make a meaningful difference. Even as the ethical consumer movement grows and the competitive landscape shifts, the core values of the company have remained unchanged. The success of One Water proves that sustainability and social impact are no longer niche ideals but essential aspects of modern business. Duncan's legacy will be one of transformation, not just through the water projects funded, but by inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs to embrace the power of business as a force for good.