HometownH₂O Collaboration Upgrades Raymond, Ohio Family's Water Access With Comprehensive Well Transformation

Xylem, Waterboys initiative and Water Well Trust partner to ensure reliable water supply for local family

An Ohio family once again has access to safe, reliable water, thanks to a collaborative effort between Xylem Inc., the Water Well Trust (WWT) and HometownH₂O, a program of the Chris Long Foundation’s Waterboys initiative. As part of the project, the family’s well underwent a complete overhaul, including donated equipment and drilling and installation services for a new well.

Andrew and Megan Olson, and their son, Declan Ward, have been living without a reliable water source for two years. Their well pump failed when the pump and the motor came apart and fell into the well. A local installer attempted to retrieve the pump but was not successful. Since then, the family has been contending with Megan’s muscular dystrophy (MD) diagnosis, and an unreliable water supply further exacerbated the situation.

Over the last two years, they have had to travel around to different friends’ homes to shower and do laundry on the weekends, which made it difficult to do much else. Outside of daily tasks, the family’s limited water supply prohibited them from many of the hobbies they routinely enjoyed, such as gardening, backyard bonfires and exercising.

“Everything in our daily lives was more difficult without water. I will feel so much better when we can finally turn the faucet back on, given our reality of floating around to different friends’ houses to take showers, cook food or do laundry,” said Meg Olson, Water Well Trust beneficiary. “It was such a relief to get the call from the Water Well Trust, knowing our family would soon have access to water in our own home.”

Along with a new well, project partners worked to build a wooden access ramp for Megan. They also provided other services, such as yard cleanup and installing a basketball hoop. Donations from local distributor Warren Pump & Supply Co., well driller and pump installer Seismic Drilling Co., as well as The Vinyl Institute, who donated PVC piping material, rounded out the project and were instrumental to its success.

"Hearing what the Olson family has gone through the past two years makes it meaningful to be a part of this incredible project that will ensure water security for years to come,” said Alex Rodriguez, market development manager at Xylem. “Our mission at Xylem is to find innovative solutions to make a water-secure world, so being able to support the positive change in the Olson family’s living situation is an honor.”

The Olson family's well upgrade is the 22nd project for HometownH₂O, a domestic water initiative dedicated to supplying clean water to families in need. Currently, more than 2.2 million Americans lack access to clean water, making this joint effort between Long, his Foundation’s Waterboys initiative, Xylem, and the Water Well Trust a vital resource for families across the country.

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 Chris Long Foundation and HometownH₂O projects, visit waterboys.org/hometown.

About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a Fortune 500 global water solutions company that empowers customers and communities to build a more water-secure world. Our 23,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $8.6B in 2024, optimizing water and resource management with innovation and expertise. For more information, visit www.xylem.com.

About Xylem Watermark
Xylem Watermark, the Company’s corporate citizenship program, was initiated in 2008, with a focus on protecting and providing safe water resources around the world and also educating people on water-related issues. The global initiative, which encompasses employee and stakeholder engagement, provides access to clean drinking water and sanitation, and humanitarian emergency response to help communities become more water-secure and sustainable.

About the Chris Long Foundation and Waterboys
The Chris Long Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded by two-time Super Bowl Champion and 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, Chris Long. We mobilize champions, service providers, and experts to help communities access clean water, address basic needs for youth and families, and inspire others to make an impact at home and abroad. Our vision is access and opportunity everywhere. To date, the Waterboys initiative has provided clean water to over 580,000 people in need. HometownH₂O is a program of the Chris Long Foundation. For more information, visit chrislongfoundation.org and waterboys.org.

About Water Well Trust
The Water Well Trust (WWT) is a 501(c)3 organization created by the Water Systems Council to provide a clean water supply to American families living without access to a precious resource most of us take for granted. We serve Americans living primarily in rural, unincorporated areas or minority communities that may be isolated and difficult to reach. We assist low-income families who live in areas where the extension of public water supplies to serve them doesn’t make economic sense…for them, for the public water supply owners, for federal, state or local funding sources.