Clean, running water gifted to Illert family of Eureka, Missouri, through Hometown H2O Former St. Louis Rams star Chris Long and partners Xylem and Water Well Trust provided a local family of four in Eureka, Missouri, access to clean water with a donated water well system, equipment, well drilling and pump installation. The Illert family Read more
Chris Long Foundation
Clean, running water gifted to Illert family of Eureka, Missouri, through Hometown H2O
Former St. Louis Rams star Chris Long and partners Xylem and Water Well Trust provided a local family of four in Eureka, Missouri, access to clean water with a donated water well system, equipment, well drilling and pump installation. The Illert family – Justin Illert, veteran, age 30 yrs old, Sarah age 27, Lilah, age 5, and Austin, age 1 – was previously living without clean, running water in their home and relied on bottled water and rainwater for cooking and cleaning. The family now has reliable access to clean, potable water for the first time.
“It feels like we won the lottery,” said Sarah Illert, Water Well Trust beneficiary. “It means the world. It really is life changing for us. We are so grateful to have clean water to cook with, do our laundry, clean the dishes, and take clean showers and baths.”
The donation marked the fourth project between Xylem Inc., Water Well Trust and Hometown H2O, which is a domestic water program dedicated to bringing clean, sustainable water to people and communities in need across the United States. Hometown H2O – a program launched in early 2020 – is a united effort between retired NFL player Chris Long and his Foundation’s Waterboys initiative and water technology company Xylem Inc. to address domestic water scarcity issues, which currently leave more than 2 million Americans without access to clean water. Hometown H2O and Xylem work alongside the Water Well Trust, a national nonprofit that helps qualify low-income families. This project was also supported by beverage company Talking Rain, who donated water to project staff and made a financial contribution to the family.
“Nobody should have to live without access to clean water– especially the brave and honorable men and women that have served our nation,” said Chris Long, two-time Super Bowl champion and founder of the Chris Long Foundation. “Clean water access for many Americans is an increasingly serious problem. Since Hometown H2O launched in 2020, we have raised awareness for water equality that affects policy at the state and federal levels. We will continue to prioritize this mission in our future projects. The organizations we work with, including Xylem and Water Well Trust, bring industry expertise to the table, and passionately do what it takes to make these projects successful. Thank you to our supporting partners for helping us to change lives and ensure that clean, running water is a basic human need that no American lacks.”
Xylem donated Goulds Water Technology brand equipment while local distributor partner Water Works of Springfield, Missouri, coordinated the discounted installation through pump installer Schroepfer Well Drilling, Inc. of Franklin County, Missouri. A team of volunteers – from Water Works and Xylem employees – also donated time to clean up the property’s yard.
“The unacceptable reality is that many Americans do not have access to potable, running water,” said Susan O’Grady, Director of Marketing, Building Services and Agriculture, Xylem. “For Xylem and its partners, we are honored to be able to use our expertise and passion for the cause to bring this vital service to people who deserve to have clean water.”
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.
Donation of new water well first for program partnership Suffolk, Va. — A rural Virginia family displaced from their home after their water well failed are receiving the gift of clean water today, marking the first project of Hometown H2O, a domestic water program aimed at bringing education and access to clean and sustainable water Read more
Donation of new water well first for program partnership
Suffolk, Va. — A rural Virginia family displaced from their home after their water well failed are receiving the gift of clean water today, marking the first project of Hometown H2O, a domestic water program aimed at bringing education and access to clean and sustainable water to people and communities in need across the United States.
Hometown H2O is an extension of The Chris Long Foundation‘s Waterboys initiative and the result of a partnership announced in December 2019 with Xylem Inc.
“This family’s situation is not an isolated instance of the water challenges facing many lower-income rural communities in the United States,” said Chris Long, two-time Super Bowl champion and founder and chairman of the Chris Long Foundation. “Addressing domestic water needs is an important next step in our work at Waterboys, which is why we created Hometown H2O. Having our first project in my home state of Virginia is special to me, but it is just the beginning of our U.S. work with Xylem to impact lives through the gift of water.”
The family of six in Suffolk, Virginia, bought the property in 2018 and began experiencing water issues about six months ago when the shallow well pump on the property began pumping sand and water into the house. The property needed a new, deeper well, but it would cost thousands of dollars the family did not have.
Without running water, Social Services would not allow the family to live in the house, so they stayed at a hotel for several months until aid ran out, eventually moving in with family out of state. The family applied for assistance through the nonprofit Water Well Trust, and Hometown H2O, Xylem and its partners quickly mobilized.
Waterboys project in Suffolk, VA with the Crawford family.
Xylem coordinated the donation of the water well equipment from among its network of partners,
Noland Supply of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, a WinSupply company, and Creason & Sons Well Service Inc. of Zuni, Virginia. The companies began the prep work at the site about a week ago for the well installation.
In addition to the new well, Xylem and its team of volunteers, activated through Watermark, Xylem’s acclaimed corporate social responsibility program, are completing a number of interior and exterior home improvement projects on the property, including installing a shower in the bathroom and fixing a warped front porch to help improve the family’s overall quality of life.
“Having clean water restored to their home will allow this family to reunite and live safely — it is truly lifechanging,” said Joe Vesey, Xylem senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “We have the opportunity of a lifetime to solve our growing domestic water challenges by bringing individuals and organizations together and leveraging their expertise and resources.”
Xylem and Waterboys, along with nonprofit partner Water Well Trust, seek to raise awareness about domestic water issues, including that 1.5 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 will deliver a series of 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.
Photos by Michael-Simon-Photography