Several local families in Jacksonville, Texas, received a donated water well system as beneficiaries of Hometown H2O – a domestic water program that's working to bring access to clean and sustainable water to the more than 2 million Americans without it. The property is home to 11 residents who, prior to the new water well, relied on rain barrels to collect water for everyday use and traveled 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 Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world's most critical water challenges, along with nonprofit 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 this year.

"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 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 honor to be able to help fulfill 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 highly regarded corporate social responsibility program Watermark provides 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 recognize 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."

Xylem and Waterboys, along with nonprofit partner Water Well Trust, seek to raise awareness about domestic water issues, including that more 2 million people in the U.S. lack access to clean, safe drinking water at home. Working in coordination with Watermark and the company's Goulds Water Technology brand, this partnership delivers ongoing water well projects to provide rural communities with reliable, safe water access, which can lead to better overall health and improved quality of life.

For more information about the Hometown H2O project, visit waterboys.org/hometown or contact Amanda Holloway at amanda.holloway@xyleminc.com or 224-500-0742. B-roll video footage for the Jacksonville project is available for download here.