The Water Well Trust, the only national nonprofit helping Americans get access to a clean, safe water supply, has funds available to increase potable water availability to rural households in three New York counties, including Delaware, Rensselaer and Columbia.
The grant monies will provide long-term, low-interest loans to applicants seeking new or improved water wells. WWT limits funding to a maximum of $11,000 per household. Loans have an interest rate of 1% with terms of up to 20 years. The program will be available in New York through September 2018.
To qualify for a WWT loan, applicants must be the owner and occupant of the home as their primary residence. In addition, the applicant’s household income must not exceed 100% of the median non-metropolitan household income for the state in which the applicant resides. The 2016 Non-Metropolitan median household income is $58,900 for New York. The income criteria apply to both the applicant and all other occupants of the home.
Prospective applicants can download the application form and instruction letter from the Apply page.
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.
In 2014, the Water Well Trust received its first USDA grant for a project to increase potable water availability to rural households in northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma. That grant was used to drill or rehabilitate 24 water wells, providing over 100 individuals with new access to safe drinking water.
In 2015, the WWT received a second USDA grant to drill new water wells or rehabilitate existing wells in 13 Georgia counties, including Colquitt, Grady, Hancock, Hart, Jones, Macon, Monroe, Murray, Twiggs, Warren, Washington, Wilcox and Worth. That grant will be used to fund at least 22 wells.
