Arkansas PVC Pipe Helps Provide Access to Clean Water for Rural Alabamians

It’s hard to imagine that millions of Americans lack access to safe, clean water in their homes. They are forced to haul water or use other uncontaminated water sources such as bottled water for their basic daily needs.  But non-profit organizations like the Water Well Trust (WWT) and H2 Alabama are working to change that in Alabama’s Black Belt region where 30% of the population lives below the poverty level.  The name “Black Belt” refers to the dense, dark, clay soil conditions in the region, which are ideal for growing cotton, but difficult and cost-prohibitive for drilling wells. Together, the non-profit organizations are offering a program to identify families in need and assist in building or refurbishing their water wells.

Additional support is being provided by Jet Stream, the piping division of General Shale, which is donating 15,000 feet of PVC pipe that will be used in 50 new water wells across a five-county area in Alabama including Dallas, Perry, Wilcox, Marengo, and Sumter counties. These county residents do not have access to a public water system and must rely on private wells to draw water. Many of these old shallow wells are failing, and residents can’t afford to build new ones.  As a result, families must use bottled water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing since they have no source of safe drinking water or adequate water pressure in their homes.

 

Earlier this month, Senator John Boozman (AR) joined Andy Hall, COO of General Shale, to announce the PVC pipe donation at Jet Streams PVC pipe facility in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

 “We all deserve safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water. Water wells are a cost-effective solution to delivering this resource to homes in small, rural communities,” said Senator John Boozman. “I’m pleased to see how Arkansans are stepping up to help neighbors in need and will continue to support policies that expand access to water infrastructure and investments.”

“As North America’s leading manufacturer in sustainable building materials, General Shale’s Jet Stream Pipes division is honored to have contributed PVC solutions to bring clean drinking water to Alabama residents,” said Andy Hall, Chief Operating Officer of General Shale. “Supporting Water Well Trust and H2 Alabama’s efforts through highly sustainable, nature-positive building solutions is in direct alignment with our organization’s core values and corporate initiatives.”

WWT is using its USDA grant and matching funds from the Water Systems Council to provide long-term, low-interest loans to applicants seeking new or improved water wells and septic systems. Loans have an interest rate of 1% with terms of up to 20 years. To date, the Water Well Trust has been involved in drilling or rehabilitating over 416 water wells serving 468 households across the country, many of which were USDA projects.

“The Water Well Trust is thrilled to announce our partnership with Jet Stream to bring safe, affordable drinking water to rural America. Specifically, we are grateful for the very generous donation of 15,000 feet of PVC pipe for a community water project in Alabama,” said Margaret Martens, executive director of the Water Systems Council. “This pipe donation will significantly reduce the cost of the new wells for the low-income homeowners we will be serving and will free up more funds to assist others. We are equally thrilled to be here with Sen. Boozman. Sen. Boozman has been a tireless champion for bringing safe, affordable drinking water to rural Americans. Since our first project in 2012, the WWT has drilled 75 wells to provide water to families in Arkansas. We look forward to working with Sen. Boozman on the 2023 Farm Bill to bring energy-efficient pumping systems to household well systems and farms across rural America.

H2 Alabama, is working with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Sanitation Health Program to identify eligible residents in the five-county area. The donation of well-casing pipes will significantly lower the cost of household water wells, making the dream of safe drinking water and adequate water pressure a reality for many families. PVC pipe is used in the water well casing due to its resistance to corrosion and its cost-effectiveness.

“This extraordinary contribution of raw materials needed to build water wells will enable H2 Alabama, in partnership with the Water Well Trust, to provide safe drinking water for the first time to low-income, rural and minority communities in Alabama,” said Stacy McKean, H2 Alabama Executive Director.

The Vinyl Institute supports WWT’s efforts to bring access to clean water to families. In the past two years, the VI has helped with projects in Virginia and Texas.

“Thanks to Jet Stream for its donation of PVC pipe and for helping families in need,” said Ned Monroe, president and CEO of the Vinyl Institute.  “PVC continues to be the material of choice for clean drinking water infrastructure. These wells will be working for years helping families because of PVC’s durability, versatility, and non-corrosive properties. We look forward to working with Senator Boozman on more projects like this. He’s a real champion for bringing clean water to families in need across the state.”