Currently, SERCAP’s Regional Team is continuing to provide Technical Assistance (TA) to the community of Hobson Village in the City of Suffolk, VA, this time for their Stormwater Collection and Conveyance System. SERCAP has been working with the community of Hobson Village for over a decade, helping them to secure clean, safe drinking water for the community. Now, that several of the residents have connected to the Public Water System, the community is working to address another critical piece of their water infrastructure, Stormwater Collection.
Recently, concerns arose that there may be a leak in the community’s water distribution system. Utilizing their existing relationship with SERCAP, the community reached out and asked for additional assistance. Via SERCAP’s partnership with the EPA Region 3 Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland (EFC-UMD), the agency dispatched two (2) Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs), a water-line locator, and a water leak detector, to investigate the suspected water leak, and its potential contribution to the stormwater drainage issues experience by the community. Following SERCAP’s assessment, the TAPs determined that the storm drainage issues were not caused by a water-line leak. Therefore, Hobson Village, a primarily African American community, has been picked-up as an on-going EFC-UMD project, to identify and address the community’s critical stormwater challenges.
Without SERCAP’s full slate of Programs and Services, both rural communities and low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals would be forced to go without such necessities as adequate water/wastewater infrastructure, clean drinking water, reliable access to safe and affordable housing, indoor plumbing, community development, and other critical infrastructure needs. It is important to remember that even in the United States in the 21st Century; there are those who do not have reliable access to clean, safe drinking water, environmentally sound septic facilities, and affordable housing. In order to help SERCAP provide assistance to both communities and individuals in need, please consider making a gift to SERCAP’s Annual Fund! Give Today: https://sercap.org/give-now (opens new window)
*Funding for SERCAP’s Regional Team is provided by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Community Services’ (OCS) Grant, USDA RD’s Technitrain Program, the Drinking Water Compliance Grant through the EPA, and the EPA Private Well Grant. The EFC-UMD is funded by a Grant from EPA. Additionally, all of SERCAP’s programs and services in Virginia are leveraged by a Budget Appropriation from the Virginia General Assembly, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD).