After years of water shortages affecting daily life, a rural Virginia family will soon have reliable access to water. A collaborative well installation between Xylem, a leading global water solutions company, the Water Well Trust (WWT), and HometownH2O, a program of the Chris Long Foundations’ Waterboys initiative, will provide the Brown family with a new water well and pump system. Together, these organizations work to address water access challenges in underserved communities, underscoring the importance of collaboration and partnerships.

Tristan Brown, a Purple Heart recipient, and his wife Merrilynn purchased their rural Willis, Virginia, property several years ago with plans to build a homestead and raise animals while homeschooling their three children. After serving his country, Brown hoped to build a selfsufficient life for his family. However, soon after moving in, they discovered their aging well could no longer reliably meet the family's water needs.

As the well continued to weaken, the family was forced to ration water, structuring their daily routines around waiting for the well to replenish and making it increasingly difficult to maintain the gardens and livestock that were central to their homesteading plans. As the Browns explored options for replacing the well, the cost of drilling a new system proved financially out of reach.

“We’ve spent years planning our days around water and hoping the well would hold on just a little longer,” said Tristan Brown. “There were times when we'd run out of water in the middle of 2 a shower or wake up during the night just to run a load of laundry. This new well is more than a source of water — it's a source of stability, relief and hope for our family.”

Volunteers and local professionals will drill a new well and install a pump system to restore dependable water service to the home. Key project partners include local distributor CMC Supply and well driller Rorrer Well Drilling, which is donating drilling services for the project. Together with Xylem Watermark, the company’s corporate social responsibility program, partners are contributing equipment, materials, technical expertise and services to complete the installation.

“Reliable water access is something many people take for granted, but for millions of Americans it remains a daily challenge,” said Alex Rodriguez, Market Development Manager at Xylem. “Projects like this demonstrate what's possible when organizations, local partners and volunteers come together to support families and strengthen communities. We're honored to help the Brown family gain access to the safe, dependable water they deserve.”

Across the United States, many households still contend with unreliable or unsafe household water supplies, highlighting the continued need for targeted, community-based solutions.

Xylem, in conjunction with its Goulds Water Technology brand, is engaged in regular water well initiatives to provide secure water access to rural areas, striving to increase public awareness of the challenges surrounding lack of water access. For more information about the Chris Long Foundation and HometownH2O projects, visit waterboys.org/hometown.