Groundwater Foundation Donates $100,000 to Water Well Trust
Donation to Fund Wells in High-Need Areas Across the U.S.
The Water Well Trust, a national nonprofit helping low income Americans get access to a clean, safe water supply, has received a $100,000 donation from the Groundwater Foundation to fund the drilling of 10 water wells in high-need, low-resource rural areas across the U.S.
“There is a tremendous need to help families struggling to make ends meet and they shouldn’t have to worry about access to clean, safe, affordable and sustainable water,” says Terry Morse, NGWA CEO. “I’m thrilled we are partnering with the Water Well Trust to tackle this problem; we have a lot of work to do all across America.”
The Groundwater Foundation, which focuses on local groundwater education and action, merged with the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) in 2018.
According to the latest American Community Survey, there are 460,000 households — or 1.5 million Americans — living without access to access to clean, safe, affordable drinking water.
The donation will fund a joint effort by the Water Well Trust and the Groundwater Foundation to drill wells for low-income families across the U.S. that lack access to clean water. The program will pay for the initial cost of drilling the wells and participating families will receive long-term, low-interest loans. The 10-well project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
The Water Well Trust is a nonprofit organization overseen by the Water Systems Council. Increasing access to clean water is one the first projects being worked on collectively by NGWA and WSC, which signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in December 2018 that set a foundation for future collaborations between the organizations.
“This incredibly generous donation by NGWA and the Groundwater Foundation will allow us to expand our program to even more American families needing access to clean, safe water,” says Water Well Trust Program Director Margaret Martens. “Many of these families have been waiting for years for help. This donation means the promise of a better life can be fulfilled more quickly.”
The Water Well Trust maintains a wait list of American households requesting funding for the drilling of new wells or rehabilitation of non-functioning wells in high-need, low-resource rural areas. Prospective applicants can download the application form and instruction letter from the Water Well Trust website.
The Water Systems Council established the Water Well Trust in 2010 to provide clean, sanitary drinking water to Americans who lack access to a reliable water supply and to construct and document small community water systems using water wells to demonstrate that these systems are more economical. For more information, visit waterwelltrust.org.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
