The Water Well Trust, a national nonprofit helping low-income Americans get access to a clean, safe water supply, recently received a $250,000 grant from The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida through the Delores Barr Weaver Family Endowment Fund 1.

This is the second grant the Water Well Trust (WWT) has received from the Delores Barr Weaver Family Endowment Fund 1. The foundation initially approached the WWT because the Delores Barr Weaver Family Endowment Fund 1 wished to pursue safe drinking water projects in the U.S. The Weaver family, which also supports international water projects, believes everyone should have safe drinking water.

In 2020, the fund provided a $50,000 grant to the trust that was used to provide six families with water wells in five states. The first family to receive assistance was the Suazo family from Middletown, N.Y. This couple has four children in the home and Mrs. Suazo is living with multiple sclerosis. The family had a well that one contractor termed a “swamp well,” with water unfit for consumption. The Suazo project was successfully completed in June 2020.

Under the latest grant, the trust will be able to drill 21 wells in 2021, with grant monies going toward needy families on the WWT wait list. The fund stipulates that proceeds be used as grant money as opposed to loans.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida is a tax-exempt public charity. Created by generous individuals, families, businesses and organizations, each of their more than 600 funds helps build stronger communities. The foundation, created in 1964, has $483 million in assets and has made approximately $550 million in grants.

The Water Well Trust maintains a wait list of American households in high-need, low-resource rural areas requesting funding for new wells or rehabilitation of non-functioning wells. Prospective applicants can download the application form and instruction letter from the Water Well Trust website.

The Water Systems Council established the Water Well Trust in 2010 to provide clean, sanitary drinking water to Americans who lack access to a reliable water supply and to construct and document small community water systems using water wells to demonstrate that these systems are more economical. For more information, visit waterwellltrust.org.