Georgian grad’s small innovation leads to big change

March 22, 2018

The idea for Quench Buggy came to Darryl Hindle when he was at a festival packed with throngs of hot (and thirsty!) people who had no access to tap water. He researched what he could do to fill that void.

After finding little inspiration online, he worked with a Canadian manufacturer to design a one-of-a-kind unit that could hook up to municipal water supplies or have onboard water storage for remote locations. It had to meet stringent Ontario health and safety guidelines, as well as accessibility legislation.

The resulting Quench Buggy includes multiple on-board fountains and spigots that provide easy access to clean, cool, potable water in any type of physical environment.

Other similar companies have cropped up since then, but his brand is a frontrunner in North America with Quench Buggy units on site at more than 130 major events each year. Hindle says he can’t keep up with demand as more event organizers go green and see value in his product and service.

His business is directly responsible for preventing hundreds of millions of plastic water bottles from ending up in landfill. It has also caught the eye of municipalities as they consider how to deal with delivering safe drinking water during emergencies such as water main breaks and instances of water contamination. He has sold 30 units to this sector.

The buggies are even having a positive impact on the health of people attending outdoor events. One of the largest events serviced by the company is Made in America Fest in Philadelphia, attended by 64,000 people per day. Prior to having Quench Buggy on site, approximately 100 people per day were sent to the hospital suffering from dehydration. Since hiring the units, the festival has reduced that number by 90 per cent.

Hindle started with just one unit seven years ago and now operates 19 travelling units across North America. Quench Buggy services every type of event from convocations at Harvard to the Owen Sound Summerfolk Festival near Hindle’s hometown. What started as a small innovation has grown into a massive positive impact for the environment.

He graduated from Georgian’s Mechanical Engineering Technology – Automotive Manufacturing program in 1999.