For Gillian Smee and her family, something as simple as a glass of water had become a daily reminder of struggle. The metallic taste was so strong that friends would bring their own bottled water when visiting. The iron-laden water from their private well didn’t just affect what they drank — it stained their clothes, damaged their appliances and left rust marks literally running down the outside of their home.
“It doesn’t ever get out of your clothes, the smell of it,” Gillian said. “It just had a really strong iron smell to it, a really strong iron taste.”
The Hidden Cost of Hard Water
Living with contaminated well water meant the family faced challenges that extended far beyond inconvenience. The harsh water took a toll on Gillian’s skin and hair. Their dishwasher, washing machine, bathtub and sinks stained quickly despite constant cleaning efforts. Even an outdoor garden faucet left visible rust stains on the exterior of their house.
For parents of young Nora, the water quality posed deeper concerns. “As Nora grows and is so vulnerable to both pollutants and environmental factors, having clean water gives her such a better kind of chance,” Gillian said.
But like many hardworking families, Gillian and Kyle Wiese, Gillian’s partner, found themselves caught in an impossible situation. Water treatment systems capable of addressing their contamination issues remained financially out of reach, even as they worked tirelessly to provide for their daughter and maintain their home.
A Century of Service, a Gift of Hope
Enter Aaron Putnam from United Water & Air, who arrived at the Smee-Wiese home with unexpected news. To celebrate EcoWater’s 100-year anniversary, his company was giving away a comprehensive water treatment system — and Smee and Wiese had been selected as recipients.
“Some water is really nice and clean coming out of the ground, and some water is filled with iron, arsenic, other contaminants that are harmful both to the consumer and also to their homes,” Aaron said. “And so in their case, they have pretty bad water.”
The installation represented more than just a business transaction. Aaron and his team saw a young family working incredibly hard but struggling to get ahead — people who simply needed a helping hand.
The Emotional Impact
The announcement left the family almost unable to believe their good fortune. “Having the opportunity to have fresh water like that just seems kind of like a little surreal,” Gillian said. “I don’t think we thought this opportunity was going to be able to be accessible for us.”
For Kyle, the gift represented something profound: validation of their hard work and a chance to finally move forward. “We both worked so hard and it’s hard to feel like you’re getting ahead sometimes,” Kyle reflected. “Having this opportunity to feel like we’re getting ahead is really truly amazing.”
Looking Forward
The new water system promises to transform daily life in ways both practical and profound. Gillian found herself excited about mundane tasks that had previously been sources of frustration. “I’m excited for being able to do laundry. I’m excited to be able to have white clothes,” she said.
More importantly, the family can now provide Nora with clean, safe water as she grows. “I think it will really help set her up for success,” Kyle said. “Excited to make sure that the water she has is clean. It doesn’t smell like it used to and it’ll open up some opportunities for us in terms of things that have held us back a little bit that we’re excited to move forward on.”
A Commitment to Community
For Aaron, the installation exemplified what he values most about working with EcoWater. “What I appreciate about my relationship with EcoWater is that they are committed to giving back to the community,” he noted. “They’ve done that in every community that they operate in. They’ve done that for years and years.”
The Smee-Wiese family’s story serves as a powerful reminder that access to clean water — something many take for granted — remains a genuine challenge for families across the United States.
For Gillian, Kyle and Nora, what began as resignation to years of compromised water quality has become a new chapter — one where clean water flows freely, white clothes stay white and a young girl can grow up without the metallic taste of iron defining her childhood home.