Background
Location: Jones County GA
Program: Water Well Trust (WWT) with funding from USDA’s Household Waster Well Systems (HWWS) Grant program
When: November 2012
Who: Homeowners
Problem
For 10 years the community members on Hitchcock Road have been working to get safe drinking water for their families. The county health department determined that their wells were contaminated and unsafe.
These families have been hauling water to use in their homes and buying bottled water for drinking and cooking. This is both a physical and financial burden.
Since 2002 the community, Jones County Commissioners, and the County Administrator have explored the option of extending existing water lines to serve these homes. However, the cost of the expansion and the amount these families would have to pay for hook-up and monthly service were cost-prohibitive for both the county and the residents.
Funding
Program: WWT/HWWS (100%)
Amount funded
Client #1 – $7,750
Client #2 – $7,750
Client #3 – $7,750
Total: $23,250
Results
The recipients qualified for loans and or loan/grant combinations to finance their new wells. All wells were drilled. Cost of extending public water lines would have been $110,000, so a cost savings of 79%.
