JACKSONVILLE, Texas — It's the gift of a lifetime and on East Texas family is very thankful.
The Daily family has been living without access to clean, reliable running water since they purchased their property in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville water and sewer lines don't run through their part of town.
"We're not that far from the water line we are only like two miles down the road but they have a cut-off and that's it, it just doesn't go any further, it's on your own after that"
Kimberley Daily and her husband moved to the property about five years ago. They built the home of their dreams and everything is perfect, the only thing missing was clean water.
She started doing some research and found the Water Well Trust and Hometown H20 Project, connecting people to water for free.
"They were only doing it in other parts of the country but I thought you know I am just gonna ask and the worst thing they can do is say no right?" she said.
Shortly after they were selected and the company Xylem Watermark broke ground on the project during the first week in December. They installed a well and water lines donated by Wholesale Pump and Supply to give them the gift of running water.
Xylem Watermark team member Kevin Adler is overseeing the onsite production and said it's their first project since the pandemic began.
"Right now they don't have running water and if we do have to get them a bill for electricity we want it to be as low as possible," Adler said.
The project started at the beginning of December and was completed in a week.
"The first thing im doing is soaking for a week in a bathtub," Kimberley said.
Beverly Daily, the head of the family said it's much larger than just showering every day.
"I see this as a legacy for our family and for our children's children, and this gives them the opportunity to explore which is what I think life is all about," she said.
The project for the Daily family was part of the Hometown H2O Project, a project that works to connect families to running water.
According to the latest report from the U.S. Water Alliance, there are two million Americans living without access to running water.