Urgent Help for Williams Family's Well and Septic

The Short Story: We’re a one-income family of 5 living on a little homestead in Fort Valley, VA. My husband got injured & just had surgery (not sure when he’ll be able to go back to full duty at work). In January we found out that our well & septic both needed to be replaced ASAP. We’ve already started the process of having those done, but it will cost around $55,000 & up depending on how deep they need to drill the well & if we need trees cut down out of the way too. Between the medical bills & these huge home necessities needing replaced, our savings have been drained & our budget is already very tight.

The Detailed Story: We’ve had some major unexpected expenses occur within the last few months & need help. In early December, Joe dislocated his elbow. He has had several doctor appointments & physical therapies, all the while only receiving his base paycheck. He finally had surgery on 3/18/25 & so far, it’s been a success, but he will need to continue physical therapy for recovery, however long that may be (he will be off work until then). In early January, we found out that our well was drying up (there’s about 2 feet of water left)—we had a new well pump installed to help get us buy until a new well could be done. Later that month it was discovered that our septic was also failing. They dug it up in hopes of repairing it, but it too was very old & cannot be fixed—so a new septic has to be installed now before we can get a new well that we desperately need. Both systems are still operable at the moment, but we’re babying them to get by—and with having a homestead & gardening season upon us, we definitely need these situations fixed quickly!

We’ve already started the process to have both replaced & it’s estimated to be $55,000 to have them done—it could be more depending on how deep they have to drill the well & for possible tree removal (that are in the way of the projects). We’ve applied for the SWAP grant, but they’re not currently accepting applications due to limited funding. We may be able to get a loan, but we cannot financially afford the full monthly loan payment. We’re working on a basic budget (anything that could be cut/lowered has been)--And the bills are already rolling in for these two major projects. We would not be asking for help if we could manage, but this is our last-ditch effort to be able to get these taken care of. Any amount is greatly appreciated. I have Venmo (@BargainBridget) and Paypal as well if preferred.

I have been trying to keep up with homeschooling & homesteading while my husband recuperates, but I’m falling behind on getting everything done. It’s been very overwhelming & exhausting to say the least. If you are able, these are other areas that we can use help with:

-cutting up downed tree(s) for firewood & moving/stacking it

-goat care (hoof trimming; we have 7 Nigerian Dwarf goats that are overdue for this)

Thank you ever so much,

Joe & Bridget Williams