Currently, SERCAP’s Regional Department is assisting SERCAP’s Housing Department by providing Technical Support to address a serious storm-water issue affecting one of SERCAP’s Indoor Plumbing & Rehabilitation (IPR) Housing projects. The household, located in the Eagle Rock Area of Botetourt County, VA, is located on a hillside near a gully. The gully, while natural in origin, had been worked on by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) years ago, when they installed a drainage catchment and underground drain pipe to channel water from the gully, safely underneath and away from the main road. Over time, the entrance to the pipe has partially collapsed and become buried, causing water from rain events to back up and erode away the hillside supporting the front of the house.
The property owners, however, lack the technical capacity to properly address this issue, and would have incurred significant expense navigating this process on their own. Fortunately, SERCAP was able to
step-in and provide both Technical and Financial support to the homeowners. One of SERCAP’s Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) conducted a site evaluation and proposed a plan to perform minor site modification and install new drain pipes. SERCAP’s TAP met with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), VDOT, and the US Army Corps of Engineers to arrange site evaluations and secure the required permits. Additionally, SERCAP was able to provide a small grant of $1,500.00 to cover the cost of the project materials.
Without SERCAP’s Technical Assistance Program, and other similar services, many low-income individuals and communities would be forced to go without such necessities as water/wastewater infrastructure solutions, reliable access to clean drinking water, safe and affordable housing, indoor plumbing, other community development and infrastructure needs, and more. It is important to remember that even in the US 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 continue to provide assistance to both the individuals and communities in need, please consider making a donation to SERCAP’s Water Life! Fund!
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*Funding for SERCAP’s Regional Department is made possible 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. SERCAP’s Facilities Development and Essential & Critical Needs Grant Programs are made possible by a Budget Appropriation from the Virginia General Assembly, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD). Additionally, all of SERCAP’s programs in Virginia, are leveraged by the Budget Appropriation from the Virginia General Assembly, administered by DHCD.