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

Surprised by the impact they were having by working for safe water, Bill started gathering other water professionals to join him on these trips. The work eventually grew to the place where friends began encouraging Bill to formalize the ministry. The Lifewater name was established in 1978 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 1986.

Lifewater has grown tremendously over the past decade. Over the course of five years the requests for assistance and training forced 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 15 full-time staff. The number of volunteer Field Trainers serving with Lifewater also grew during this time from about 50 to over 250 qualified people. With generous grassroots funding, volunteers, and excellent overseas partners, Lifewater has seen hundreds of communities and thousands of lives transformed by clean, safe water and the living water of Jesus Christ. Since our beginnings over 25 years ago, Lifewater continuously rejoices in our growing capacity to serve those most in need.