Blog/News

Last week, SERCAP celebrated its 53rd year of serving rural communities and low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals by hosting its Annual Water Is Life! Celebratory Reception & Banquet in beautiful Roanoke, VA! On Thursday, May 5, 2022, after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SERCAP staff and Board Members once again gathered together with Friends, Supporters, and the General Public at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center to celebrate the year’s accomplishments in the water/wastewater, housing, and community development fields...

Recently, SERCAP's Housing Department assisted a low-income household of two (2) (an elderly man and his adult daughter) living in Buckingham County, VA, to rebuild their home through the agency’s Indoor Plumbing & Rehabilitation Flex (IPR-Flex) program.  The clients had been living in the home for 26 years, and after that length of time, the structure had fallen into significant disrepair, and hosted a failed septic system. However, due to the clients’ low-income status, they were unable to afford the cost of the project on their own. Fortunately, one of SERCAP’s previous IPR-Flex program recipients referred them to the agency for assistance, and due to their low-income status they qualified for the program...

Recently, SERCAP's Regional Technical Assistance Program assisted a low-income individual to increase their well’s water production.    The client’s well was routinely running dry, and was not yielding a sufficient amount of water to meet the client’s needs. In order to address this need, SERCAP delivered water straight to the client’s well on two occasions. However, that would not be a long-term viable solution for low-yield well use, and SERCAP needed to discover a permanent fix for the well’s low water production. SERCAP recommended Well Hydraulic Fracturing or Well Hydro-fracking as a long-term solution...

During the month of March 2022, SERCAP’s Housing Counseling Department closed-out its FY2021 Credit Improvement Program, in partnership with Virginia Housing. SERCAP is an approved HUD Local Housing Counseling Agency (LHCA), and regular sub-grantee of Virginia Housing’s grant programs for housing counseling. In 2021, SERCAP was awarded the FY2021 Housing Counseling & Education (HCE) Credit Improvement Focus Area Grant from Virginia Housing...

Currently, SERCAP’s Facilities Development Program is providing financial assistance to support the Lula G. Williams Education and Wellness Center, an assisted living facility located in Dinwiddie County, VA. In 2004, the Virginia Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church opened the 60-bed facility, housing upwards of 20 residents on average. The center offered both private and semi-private rooms, and services included: customized care plans, recreation, exercise and fitness activities, 24-hour staffing, emergency call systems, three (3) nutritional meals daily, and housekeeping and laundry services. Additional health services included: respite care, medication management, and rehabilitation services. Despite the benefits to the community, the facility was shut-down in 2007 due to the discovery of considerable radiological contamination in the existing well water supply, and a lack of sufficient funds to correct the problem...

Recently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund assisted a low-income single man living in Henry County, VA, to replace his septic system. Shortly after purchasing his home, he began experiencing difficulties with his septic system. Due to an addition to the basement, the system was not installed deep enough into the ground, and tree roots were growing through it. Wastewater began overflowing from his septic system into the bathroom in the basement, creating a nuisance and a health hazard. However, due to his low-income status he was unable to afford the cost of replacing his septic system on his own...

Currently, SERCAP's Housing Department is assisting an elderly woman living in Buckingham County, VA, to completely rehabilitate her home through the agency’s Indoor Plumbing and Rehabilitation Flex (IPR-Flex) program. The client has been living in her home for 49 years, but the structure did not meet multiple HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS), and was in desperate need of several significant repairs. However, due to her low-income status, she was unable to afford the cost of the repairs on her own. Fortunately, she was referred to SERCAP by her local Department of Social Services (DSS), and the agency was able to qualify her for assistance through the IPR-Flex program...

Currently, SERCAP’s Regional Program is assisting several communities throughout the commonwealth of Virginia to create, update, and/or recreate their Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) and Security Vulnerability Assessments (SVAs). Every three years, Community Water Systems across the Commonwealth are required to certify their ERPs and SVAs with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Maintaining up-to-date ERPs and SVAs is a water/wastewater utility best practice, however, USDA Rural Development (RD) also requires that systems have updated certified ERPs and SVAs to apply for USDA RD funding. In addition to the USDA RD requirements, the preparation of ERPs and SVAs helps to improve the management of the utility and will increase the system’s ability to respond to emergencies...

Currently, SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Program is assisting a low-income elderly woman living in Louisa County, VA, to have the well-pump at her home replaced. SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Program provides eligible low-to-moderate income (LMI) homeowners with small grants to address critical water and wastewater needs. Over the past two months, this client has been experiencing difficulties with the well-pump attached to her individual household well. However, due to her low-income status she was unable to afford the cost of replacing the part on her own without causing serious financial hardship...

Currently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund is assisting a low-income single man living in Montgomery County, VA, to have a new individual household well installed at his home. Recently, he began experiencing difficulties with his existing well, which has gone dry, and is in need of replacement. However, due to his low-income status, he could not afford the cost of having a new well drilled on his own and therefore reached out to SERCAP for some financial assistance...