The Goff family had been without water access on their property following a well collapse in September 2022. Since then, the Goffs have resorted to obtaining water from a neighbor's well situated half a mile away and then transported on a riding lawnmower.

“Our neighbor has been kind enough to allow us to use his trailer to transport clean water back to our home from his property while we tried to find a solution,” Goff says.

Once back at their residence, they would deposit the water into 250-gallon holding tanks, taking 20 minutes to fill completely for use.

The donation included all necessary equipment, drilling and installation, as well as a yard cleanup and expansion, thanks to support from local distributor Bradford Supply and Mumma Brothers Drilling Inc. Piping material from The Vinyl Institute and bottles of water from Talking Rain Beverage Company were also included.

This project marks the 13th collaboration for Xylem, WWT and Hometown H2O, a domestic water initiative dedicated to bringing clean, sustainable water to people and communities in need across the United States.

“The reality is that many American families – especially in rural areas – are forced to source their water from unsanitary means for everyday use and that should not be happening,” says Chris Long. “Our mission with Hometown H2O is to address the issue of water scarcity that plagues many families across America. With the support of Xylem and Water Well Trust, we are committed to providing access to clean and sustainable water to those who need it the most.”

Launched in early 2020, Hometown H2O brings together Long, his foundation’s Waterboys initiative and Xylem to address domestic water scarcity issues, which currently leave more than 2 million Americans without access to clean water. Hometown H2O works alongside WWT, a national nonprofit that helps fund and supply water to low-income families.

“Given the significant number of people in the United States without access to this vital resource, the water sector has an opportunity and a responsibility to provide assistance and solutions,” says Susan O’Grady, senior director of marketing, building services and agriculture for Xylem. “By combining the unique capabilities of Water Well Trust, our Watermark program and our industry knowledge with the Waterboys’ base of dedicated volunteers and partners, we are bringing water to communities that need it, and public awareness of this critical national issue.”

Xylem says it, in conjunction with its Goulds Water Technology brand, engages in regular initiatives to provide secure water access to rural areas and strives to increase public awareness of the challenges surrounding lack of domestic water access. For more information about the Hometown H2O project, visit waterboys.org/hometown.

Xylem, based in Rye Brook, N.Y., serves the public utility, residential, commercial and agricultural markets with a variety of pump and water treatment products. The company has more than 17,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.xylem.com.

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 waterwellltrust.org.