WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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 nine to ten the number of New Mexico counties eligible to receive assistance for drilling a new water well or rehabilitate an existing well.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $200,000 matching grant to the Water Well Trust (WWT) for a project to increase potable water availability to households in nine rural New Mexico counties, including Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Otero, Sierra, and Socorro counties. The WWT has now expanded eligibility to another county: Curry.

The USDA grant monies will provide long-term, low-interest loans to applicants seeking new or improved water wells in the ten-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 median non-metropolitan household income for New Mexico is $52,300. 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 Water Well Trust website at waterwelltrust.org under "Apply" at the top of the home 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.

For more information, visit waterwelltrust.org.