Around 15% of the U.S. population relies on private wells for drinking water. And relying on this water source offers its own unique challenges, especially when it stops working.
Take the Kimm family that lives in Carlisle, Ohio, who had to go without water for a month.
They owned their home for three years before their well failed in July and didn’t know how they’d pay to fix it at the time. Sarah Kimm gave birth to twins early last December, leaving the three hospitalized for over a month. Her husband, Tadd Kimm, was injured in a car crash in July.
“This year really hasn't been our year, so that was just the icing on the cake for 2024,” Sarah Kimm said.
Amid those medical bills and several denied loan applications, the well felt like the final financial straw. Then they found help through the National Ground Water Association’s Water Well Wish program.
Nascent program for a long-standing problem
The Water Well Wish Program officially launched in August 2023. The organization paid to install a new, free well less than a week after it approved their application.
“It was created to help families in need who rely on private water wells but cannot afford the upfront cost of drilling a new water well or having their current system repaired,” the organization writes on its website.
The organization considers factors such as financial situation, family size and more when deciding which applications to approve.
Previously, NGWA was selected as one of the conduits for the USDA’s Rural Water Assistance Program, but Morse said that not all families that needed help met all the criteria of the program. Those that didn't qualify, like the Kimm family, were left with too few options.
“There's some holes in it where people who couldn't even afford the loan were being denied,” said Terry Morse, CEO of the National Ground Water Association. “That's why we created this program to help those who can't get help through the federal government program in the city.”
The Kimm family didn't qualify for loans available for rural families because they live near a public water system. But connecting to that public water would’ve cost $30,000.
Grants meant to reduce financial burden
The estimated cost to install the well was more than $12,000, which was completely covered by a grant. NGWA has helped 21 families this year.
Sarah Kimm said she and her family won’t take water for granted again.
“Just kind of makes you think like I'm kind of blessed to have running water now,” she said.
The family had to travel 15 minutes to Sarah’s parents’ house just to shower and wash dishes while waiting for a solution. Tadd Kimm said they’re happy they can return to normalcy.
“We're very thankful to be able to be able to at least deal with things in our own home,” he said.
Morse said people often don’t know that some U.S. families struggle to access water. But stories like the Kimms’ make completing this work a no-brainer.
“That's the satisfaction, when you realize you can help someone eliminate that struggle in life so they can get on and try and live a normal life like most of us do,” Morse said.
