Football fans are being asked to vote for their “water heroes” in an initiative by Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) and water technology company Xylem.

The winner will be chosen from five teams of young leaders working to tackle water challenges in their cities - Cape Town, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Mumbai and New York City. Fans can choose their Water Heroes by voting for their favourite water project in the initiative which runs from 8-21 November.

Earlier this year, MCFC’s global community programme Cityzens Giving and Xylem launched the Water Heroes Academy, a network of projects to educate and inspire young leaders to help solve water challenges in their communities using the power of football.

Projects include exploring solutions to urban flooding and water pollution in New York City; improving water access in underserved communities in Cape Town and Mumbai; and advancing water sustainability education in Shanghai.

The top-voted project will give three young water leaders the opportunity to travel to Manchester for a once-in-a-lifetime experience which will include watching Manchester City in action at the Etihad Stadium. The water heroes will also learn more about water challenges and solutions, and will receive further training on using the power of football to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in their communities.

In addition, each Water Heroes Academy project receives seed funding, educational tools, training and mentoring from Xylem and Cityzens Giving, giving young leaders all they need to create their own unique programmes.

Tom Pitchon, director of City Football Group’s global foundation said: “We are excited to be able to shine a light on our young water heroes and to celebrate the positive impact they are having on their communities around the globe, as part of the Water Heroes Academy initiative with Xylem. We hope their stories will capture our fans’ attention and inspire them to get involved.”

“These inspirational young leaders and their projects are a powerful reminder of the passion, focus and creativity the next generation is bringing to the world’s water challenges,” said Joseph Vesey, Xylem's chief marketing officer.

“Through the Water Heroes Academy, and our broader partnership with City Football Group, we have a unique opportunity to spread the word on water issues and encourage more young people to take action towards a sustainable water future. Now, it’s up to the fans to vote!”

To hear the story of each project and to vote, visit www.mancity.com/waterheroes