The Water Well Trust, the only national nonprofit helping low-income Americans get access to a clean, safe water supply, has announced that it is expanding from 22 to 23 the number of South Carolina counties eligible to receive assistance for drilling a new water well or rehabilitate an existing well.
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $140,000 matching grant to the Water Well Trust (WWT) for a project to increase potable water availability to households in 22 rural South Carolina counties, including Allendale, Barnwell, Chester, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Fairfield, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, and Williamsburg counties.
The WWT has now expanded eligibility to Abbeville county. The USDA grant monies will provide long-term, low-interest loans to applicants seeking new or improved water wells in the 23-county area.
To be eligible to receive 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 2017 non-metropolitan median household income for South Carolina is $45,900. The income criteria apply to both the applicant and all other occupants of the home.
Prospective applicants can download the application, apply online, or request an application be mailed to you.
