The Water Well Trust has completed yet another two water well projects, this time in south Texas, in memory of the late CEO of Pumps of Houston Inc., E.D. "Skip" Cook.

Cook spent 45 years with Pumps of Houston and was an active member of several groundwater industry organizations.  He also served on local, state and national groundwater boards.  After his death on Oct. 26, 2015, the Water Systems Council's Water Well Trust established a memorial fund to drill water wells for families without access to clean water in south Texas.

The first water well project was completed by J & S Water Wells in Sublime, Texas, for homeowner Charles Foley, a disabled former truck driver who had been hauling water to his home in buckets for bathing, cooking and drinking.   "You won't believe the difference the well will make," Foley says.  "When I say it really means a lot, it does." 

The second water well project was completed by Patrick Drilling in Livingston, Texas, for homeowners Tammy and Anthony Brazier.  Anthony is disabled and the Braziers live in an area with no public water supply.  The couple had to haul their water in five-gallon bottles.  "We give thanks to Skip every night in our prayers," Anthony says. "We call it Skip's water." 

Pumps of Houston donated materials for both wells, including the pumps, control boxes and pressure tanks.

Thomas A. "Tommy" Cook, Sr., president and CEO of Pumps of Houston, says his brother Skip started in the water well business at the age of 14, working in the company their father created in 1960.

"We were required to work 40 hours a week in the summer months, and most holidays. Skip learned everything from assembling pumps, sizing pumps, customer relations, to business management from our Dad, who was a great businessman.  ....  Skip had great success building a new territory for Pumps of Houston, Inc. and learning from his customers how water wells were drilled and produced to create clean drinking water."

The Water Systems Council works to protect groundwater and to ensure private well users in the U.S. have safe, reliable drinking water. 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 www.waterwelltrust.org.