Photography By Phillip Barrett, Jr
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan – a public safety concern for several years now – was a wakeup call to Americans and agencies of all kinds showing how devastating a lack of proper infrastructure can be to a community. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average American uses roughly 88 gallons of water at home every day.
Additionally, USA Today reports that up to 63 million Americans across the nation potentially have been exposed to polluted water, according to EPA standards and investigations.
The Rural Community Assistance Project began in an effort to overcome failed water systems and provide clean water to Americans. RCAP is nationwide and serves seven regions throughout the United States. SERCAP is the Southeastern branch and services communities in Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
“Water is life,” is the simple motto from which all of SERCAP’s efforts flow.
SERCAP President and CEO, Hope Cupit, says the organization focuses on water maintenance and distribution, but from there, SERCAP is able to serve the community in other ways, such as housing assistance and home improvement loans. Cupit says you cannot have housing or home improvements if you do not have a fundamental resource of water. The housing and lending branch of SERCAP serves to assist communities in poverty. “One great way to have access to wealth is by owning and maintaining your home,” Cupit said.
SERCAP sprang from Total Action for Progress (TAP). TAP would evolve through the years, becoming the Demonstration Water Project. The DWP would then become the template for a national counterpart known as the NDWP. The burgeoning organization eventually became an RCAP affiliate of the southeast region.
SERCAP is celebrating 50 years of providing seven states and thousands of people with safe drinking water and housing assistance this year. In an effort to give community members the tools to maintain a water responsible lifestyle and financial literacy, SERCAP focuses on education in several aspects of these categories. A few of those educational workshops include the collection and use of rainwater, as well as learning to test for safe drinking water, said Cupit.
However, as is the case with many non-profits, resources to assist the community are often limited. Funding as a major challenge to SERCAP’s mission as there is simply “not enough money to do everything that we need to do,” Cupit said. Other than funds, Cupit said certain occupations that aid in SERCAP’s mission also are in short supply. “There is a shortage of waste water operators. We really need to get the word out to the young folks that this is a career path that they can get into,” Cupit said.
One SERCAP role that Cupit calls the “boots on the ground” is the Technical Assistance Provider, or subject matter experts. The TAP workers often hold degrees in biology or environmental engineering. Additionally, TAP workers are the main way SERCAP remains connected to the people it serves, said Cupit.
Much like Earth has the water cycle to constantly shift and maintain natural water supplies; SERCAP emphasizes working with community members and existing agencies to provide a safe environment for all inhabitants.
Cupit suggests that tragedies such as Flint could have been averted with minimal maintenance efforts from the city – about $100 a day for corrosion control – Cupit estimates, to avoid exposing everyday citizens to unsafe drinking water. Unfortunately, the financial reserve often is not available for proper system maintenance.
Cupit said a way to make sure that water is maintained, is to take the stigma away from raising water rates. “What we try to tell folks is that you’re not paying for water. What you are paying for is the service.”
SERCAP will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an open house April 24, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., complete with music, food and health advocacy. Additionally, there will be a volunteer training the following day. The public is invited to attend.
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