The Groundwater Foundation has launched its new, nationwide grant program, Water Well Wish. The grant will provide funds to low-income individuals to repair or replace private water wells at no cost.
The program will work directly with families across the United States and provide 100 percent of the funding to repair an existing system or drill a new well. This will provide families with access to clean water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, washing dishes and clothes and more.
Water Well Wish was created to help families in need who rely on private water wells but cannot afford the upfront cost of drilling a new well or having their current system repaired.
It is estimated that more than two million Americans face water insecurity and lack a reliable source of safe, clean water.
Private wells provide water for an estimated 40 million Americans, largely in rural and underserved areas of the country, and can cost, on average, between $10,000 and $30,000 to drill and install.
Because private wells are not funded by public dollars, owners are often left with little or no support from local, state and federal governments. Many water well owners are also unaware of how to properly manage and maintain their systems.
“It’s hard to imagine people in the United States struggling to access water, but it happens every day and in every part of the country,” said National Ground Water Association CEO Terry Morse. “Water Well Wish is our attempt to help bridge this divide and provide people with something we all deserve, access to safe, clean water.”
The Groundwater Foundation is operated by the National Ground Water Association, a professional society and trade association of groundwater professionals, many of whom drill and install water well systems.
Water Well Wish will be completely funded by corporate and private donations, and through its former entity, the Foundation for Affordable Drinking Water and has already assisted 110 families in drilling new wells.
For a family to be eligible, they must own and reside in their home; their income must be below their local poverty level, and have been denied a low-interest loan through a federal, state or local government rural water program.
To learn more about the Water Well Wish program, visit WaterWellWish.org.
