The people of a small town in west Texas are attempting to build a water pipeline in order to save their community from disaster.

Due to the drought conditions in west Texas over the past several years, the city of Throckmorton’s water supply is running dry. With little more than a one month supply of water and limited financial resources, Throckmorton negotiated to purchase water from a neighboring community to the north, the city of Graham.

Graham had an abundant water supply, but there was a problem. A distance of 27 miles (43.5 km) separates the two cities, with no pump stations or pipeline existing between them. Financially, Throckmorton could not afford to hire contractors to install such a pipeline.

But this small town would not give up easily. The residents decided to build the pipeline themselves. Everyone from the mayor, bankers, office workers, merchants, farmers, ranchers, high school students - even inmates - opted to volunteer their time. As work began, some dug ditches, others hauled pipe and the Baptist Men’s Association, in collaboration with the Red Cross, prepared meals for the workers.

With the townspeople providing the labor and a small government grant providing the materials, the project moved on at about 2000 feet (609.6 m) per day. Unfortunately, at that rate, the town was going to run out of water before they could complete the pipeline.

Their progress had nothing to do with lack of materials or spirit, but a lack of equipment. After a news report and a short conversation with one of the volunteers, Vermeer Equipment of Texas donated a T655DT trencher to help move the project along. The trencher increased the productivity of the pipeline construction to 1.5 miles (2.41 km) per day, opening ditches at a rate of 12 feet (3.66 m) per minute.

This will allow the volunteers to concentrate their efforts on laying the pipe to complete the pipeline. Vermeer Equipment of Texas also contacted several contractors and made arrangements for additional Vermeer track trenchers to join in the town’s effort to complete the pipeline and thwart the effects of this severe drought.

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