World Cup Heatwave Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Stadium Hydration, Says FloWater

Premium Refill Stations can keep fans cool while helping eliminate millions of single-use plastic bottles.

Denver, Co., July 6, 2026 -- As soaring temperatures grip large parts of North America during the FIFA World Cup, premium water refill company FloWater is urging stadium operators to rethink how they keep millions of fans hydrated, arguing that the era of relying on single-use plastic water bottles should end.

With extreme heat affecting communities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, access to clean, chilled drinking water is no longer merely a convenience. It is becoming essential to providing a safe, enjoyable experience for supporters, staff, volunteers, and players attending one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

Every year, sports stadiums and arenas across North America welcome well over 200 million spectators to professional sporting events, while hundreds of millions more attend college sports games, concerts, and other entertainment venues. Yet hydration at many venues still depends heavily on disposable plastic bottles, which require transport, storage, and collection and often end up in landfills or the natural environment.

The challenge extends far beyond sports. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, about one million plastic beverage bottles are purchased every minute worldwide. Although recycling rates have improved in some regions, most bottles are never recycled into new bottles, contributing to the growing global plastic pollution crisis.

“The World Cup is about bringing people together,” said FloWater Chief Executive Officer Rich Razgaitis. “It should also inspire us to rethink the experience we create for fans. When temperatures climb into the high 90s or higher, nobody should have to queue repeatedly for expensive bottled water or worry about staying hydrated.”

“We’ve already shown that people are happy to choose a better way. FloWater Refill stations have helped eliminate more than 1.5 billion single-use plastic bottles, proving that premium drinking water and sustainability can go hand in hand. Imagine the impact if every major stadium and arena across North America embraced that same approach.

“Our state-of-the -art water Refill Stations can provide premium chilled still water on demand while eliminating thousands of disposable bottles during a single event. That’s better for guests, better for venue operators and unquestionably better for the planet.”

Rather than managing pallets of bottled water, valuable storage space and growing volumes of waste, venues can provide unlimited premium purified water through permanent refill stations. The result is a better guest experience, lower transport emissions, reduced operating costs and significantly less plastic waste.

FloWater’s Refill Station technology is already trusted in workplaces, schools, universities, healthcare facilities, fitness centers, and public spaces across the United States, providing millions of people with convenient access to purified drinking water every day. As more sports and entertainment venues invest in sustainability and enhance the fan experience, refill technology is rapidly becoming an essential part of modern venue infrastructure.

“This isn’t about asking people to give something up,” added Razgaitis. “It’s about giving them something better—great-tasting chilled still and sparkling water, available whenever they need it, without creating mountains of plastic waste along the way.”

As global attention remains fixed on North America’s biggest sporting stage, FloWater believes the tournament offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for stadiums and arenas to demonstrate that world-class fan experiences and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

Editorial notes:

• The statistic that around one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute comes from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and is among the most widely cited figures on global plastic consumption.
  
• The 200+ million annual spectators figure is a conservative aggregate across the major North American professional leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, etc.), excluding college sports and concerts, which together push total venue attendance considerably higher.

• FloWater’s Water Refill technology is already proving what is possible at scale. Since the company was founded, FloWater Refill stations have helped eliminate more than 1.5 billion single-use plastic water bottles, providing millions of people with access to premium purified drinking water in workplaces, schools, fitness centers, hospitals, and public venues across the United States. As more stadiums and entertainment venues look to reduce their environmental footprint while improving the guest experience, refill technology is moving from being a sustainability initiative to becoming an essential part of modern venue infrastructure.