New nonprofit brings water wells to Black Belt

New nonprofit organization H2Alabama is helping to build wells for low-income households in rural areas of the state that do not have access to clean potable drinking water, including Alabama’s Black Belt Region. 

Grayson McKean, program manager for H2Alabama, said digging wells in the Black Belt is costly and many existing wells are failing. Some are even contaminated with various contaminants including coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria. 

H2Alabama has partnered with the Water Well Trust, a North Carolina-based nonprofit to bring their experience building wells to Alabama. Water Well Trust has built more than 600 wells across the United States, while H2Alabama built their first two wells in Hale and Wilcox counties at the end of last year. 

McKean said H2Alabama, which is based in Fairhope, will build wells across the state.  However, they are focusing their outreach in Dallas, Perry, Hale, Wilcox, Marengo, Green Sumter and Lowndes counties in the Black Belt. McKean and Assistant Program Director Mia Brown both made a presentation to the Dallas County Commission at the June meeting to introduce the organization and explain what they do. 

Brown said the application process is “straight forward,” but there are guidelines and requirements a homeowner must meet to qualify to have a well built.  

“We have a contractor, and we work with local contractors to visit the site to be sure a well can go in,” Brown said. “Then we make sure the homeowner meets the income requirements and ownership requirements.”  

Homeowners must provide a mortgage or deed and proof of income and have a household income below $32,920, she said. 

The wells cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and a portion will be paid for through a USDA grant from the Water Well Trust to offset the cost for the homeowner. There is no upfront cost for the homeowner, but once the well is installed, Brown explained, “the homeowner pays what amounts to a water bill which is about $20 to $30 a month depending on what they can afford and how much the well costs.” They will pay this until the well is paid off which is anywhere from 20 to 30 years, McKean and Brown said. 

If you need a well or know someone who does, contact H2Alabama at 251-222-5278.  You can also send them and email for more information at H2alabama@gmail.com. They also have a website; www.h2alabama.org and they are on Facebook and Instagram under h2alabama.