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Providing Water is an Honor Adapted from Information by The Water Systems Council’s Water Well Trust When it comes to helping Americans gain access to a clean, safe water supply, the Water Systems Council’s Water Well Trust is the only national nonprofit organization answering the call. Recently, the organization completed two water well projects in South Texas in memory of the late E.D. “Skip” Cook, CEO of Pumps of Houston, Inc. Cook dedicated 45 years to Pumps of Houston, Inc., and was an active member of several groundwater industry organizations, serving on local, state, and national groundwater boards. After his death on October 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,” said Foley. “When I say it really means a lot, it does!" The second water well project was completed by Patrick Drilling in Livingston, Texas, for 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," said Anthony. "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, said his brother Skip started in the water well business at 14 years old, working in the business their father cre- ated in 1960. “We were required to work 40 hours a week in the summer months, and most holidays.” Skip learned everything from assembling and sizing pumps, to customer relations and business management from his dad. After graduating from the University of Texas, Skip worked a short time for a marketing company before he was recruited to join the family business as a road salesman for East Texas. Skip had g r e a t success building a new ter- ritory for P u m p s of Houston, Inc., and learning from his cus- tomers howwater wells were drilled and pro- duced to create clean drinking water. Skip’s involvement and leadership in the water well industry quickly grew from local water well meetings to the state and national level. Tommy Cook said al though his brother dedicated many hours to the groundwater industry, “Skip’s happiest moments were spent with family as lov- ing husband, father, and grandfather.” The Water Well Trust is dedicated to helping low-income families or individuals with wells which are no longer function- ing properly, have contamination issues rendering the well unusable, or have no well, or safe water source. If you would like more information about the Water Well Trust, or if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.waterwelltrust.org. Matthew Cook, Tommy Cook, Jr., Tammy Brazier, Tommy Cook, Anthony Brazier, and Brent Cook WWDR was able to capture this great smile from Skip at the Texas Ground Water Association Annual Convention & Trade Show in 2010. 32 MARCH 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®