The Dittman family of Parker, Pennsylvania, recently received a new water well system that will provide dependable water access on their property, something the family has been living without.

The installation was made possible through a collaborative effort among Xylem Inc., Water Well Trust (WWT) and Waterboys, a charity founded by former NFL player Chris Long. The donation covered all aspects of the project, including necessary equipment, drilling and installation, as well as completion of a home improvement project. Local partners Aquaflow Pump Supply and Flick Drilling played a crucial role in the installation, while The Vinyl Institute provided piping material.

Amanda and Samuel Dittman live with their two children in a farmhouse built by Amanda’s great-great-grandfather in 1903. The home, which has been passed down through generations, drew water from a natural spring on the property. Over the years, the family had experienced a continuous decline in their water supply. The spring did not consistently produce water and provided no water during the dry season, leaving the family without access to a dependable water source. As a result, the Dittmans relied on family and neighbors to help them haul water daily from town — a 40-minute round-trip drive — and add it to their holding tank. Despite implementing water conservation practices, the family continued to struggle with basic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, showering, doing laundry and tending to their garden.

“I am proud of the history of this house, but it does come with some challenges,” Amanda says. “There have been a lot of times we’ve thought about moving, even though it wouldn’t allow us to live how we want to. My neighbor always checks on us in the summer to ask if we need water or to use her laundry. It’s a relief to tell her that we finally have water, and she doesn’t have to worry about us anymore. It’s a huge weight off our shoulders.”

This donation marks the 14th collaborative project for Xylem, WWT and HometownH2O — a domestic water initiative dedicated to bringing clean, sustainable water to people and communities in need across the United States. Launched in early 2020, HometownH2O is a united effort among Long, his foundation’s Waterboys initiative and Xylem to address water scarcity issues, which currently leave more than 2 million Americans without access to clean water. HometownH2O works alongside WWT, a national nonprofit that helps fund and supply water to low-income families.

“HometownH2O is working to tackle the water crisis here at home. Many people in the United States take safe drinking water for granted, but no matter your zip code, everyone deserves access to dependable water,” says Long, two-time Super Bowl champion and founder of the Chris Long Foundation. “Our mission with each well installation we complete is to continue to spread awareness and through collaborative solutions, bring water access to those who need it most. Xylem and Water Well Trust are indispensable partners in this effort."

“Our partnership with the Chris Long Foundation and the Water Well Trust through the HometownH2O program allows us to continue to address domestic water scarcity issues that impact countless families across the United States,” says Susan O’Grady, senior director of marketing, building services and agriculture for Xylem. “We are proud to be part of the solution to ensure that residents in rural communities, like Parker, Pennsylvania, can enjoy the essential resource of clean, safe water.”

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 HometownH2O project, visit waterboys.org/hometown.