The Jacksonville property is home to 11 residents who, prior to the new water well, relied on rain barrels to collect water for everyday use and travelled to a filling station for potable drinking water. They now have access to clean, running water for the first time.
Hometown H2O was launched in late 2019 as a result of a partnership between The Chris Long Foundation's Waterboys initiative and global water technology company Xylem Inc., along with non-profit partner Water Well Trust.
The new well, which provides David and Beverly Daily, their three adult children and their families with potable water directly to their homes, is the third Hometown H2O well donation project of 2020.
"The reality is that many American families - especially in rural areas - are forced to source their water from rain barrels or other unsanitary means for everyday use, and that should not be happening," said Chris Long, two-time Super Bowl champion and founder of the Chris Long Foundation.
"Water access for many Americans is a growing issue. Through Hometown H2O we are working to ensure everyone has access to safe, clean water at home. A key part of that is working with one of the world's leading water tech companies so that we can deliver sustainable projects and impact everyday quality of life for families as quickly as possible."
Xylem donated Goulds Water Technology brand equipment while local distributor partner Wholesale Pump & Supply of Tyler, Texas, coordinated its discounted installation through pump installer Jackson Distributors of Cushing, Texas.
"It's an honour to be able to help fulfil the promise for a better life for these families," said Rick Laborde, president, Wholesale Pump & Supply. "We could not be more thrilled to support the Water Well Trust, Xylem Watermark and Waterboy's missions in order to provide the Dailys access to water."
Similar to other Hometown H2O projects, Xylem's corporate social responsibility programme Watermark provided volunteers who conduct various improvement projects on the property beyond the well donation. Taking social distancing precautions amid coronavirus concerns, local Xylem employees Kevin Adler and Alan Ross joined forces with Wholesale Pump & Supply and Jackson Distributors employees to help build the well house for the new water well, ensuring its longevity for the family's access to water.
"COVID-19 has made already challenging circumstances even more difficult, and we recognise how imperative our resources are to helping those in need during this unprecedented time," said Susan O'Grady, director, Americas Building Services & Agriculture, Xylem.
"Not having access to running water and/or potable water is an unimaginable reality that has since become unbearable for these families. For Xylem and its partners, we feel it's the right thing to do to use our collective expertise, solutions, services and donations to bring a potentially life-saving resource to such deserving people."
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