Lifewater International has been working for three decades to provide safe water to communities around the world. William (Bill) A. Ashe founded Lifewater in the late 1970s. Beginning in the 1960s, the Ashe family took outings into Baja, Mexico, to help orphanages, camps, and churches install new water systems. The family’s water pump business was prospering in Southern California, and Bill and his wife, Lorraine, wanted to teach their children that such blessing brought with it an opportunity to give.

Surprised by the impact they were having by helping people in Mexico gain safe water, Bill began to invite other water professionals to join him on his work trips. As the outreach grew, Bill's friends began encouraging him to formalize the ministry. The Lifewater International name was established in 1977, and a board of directors was elected in 1979. Lifewater became a California non-profit corporation on April 26, 1984, and was granted tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) corporation by the IRS in February of 1986.

Lifewater's ministry has grown tremendously over the past several decades. Requests for assistance and training led the organization to expand from two people working in the back office of Bill’s pump repair business to a headquarters on the central coast of California with over fifteen full-time staff and a host of interns and office volunteers. The number of volunteer field trainers serving with Lifewater also grew from about 50 individuals to over 150.

With generous grassroots funding, committed volunteers, generous donors, and excellent in-country partner organizations, Lifewater has seen thousands of communities and almost two million lives transformed by clean, safe water, improved health, and the good news of God's love for all people.

Since our founding over thirty years ago, Lifewater International continuously rejoices in our growing capacity to serve those most in need.