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Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project
The Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP) was established through funding from the U.S. Government’s Office of Economic Opportunity in the 1960s. The Project helps low-income rural communities in the mid-Atlantic and the Southeastern U.S. obtain water and wastewater infrastructure for running water, indoor plumbing, and wastewater treatment. Water utilities in these rural areas often lack funding to provide such infrastructure. Households that are not supplied with drinking water tend to rely on wells and septic tanks, which can get contaminated by pollution from agricultural activity and the lack of suitable wastewater treatment. SERCAP assists both individuals and municipalities, and its services include installing infrastructure, providing financing and loans, and offering technical support. In addition to providing services related to water, SERCAP also provides support on housing issues.
Resource Category: Organizations
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We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective, Detroit, Michigan
August 2016
We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective (WPD CRC) is a collaboration among community activists, academics, researchers, and designers in Detroit, Michigan studying the impact of water insecurity, water policy, social equity, and health among local residents. The research process included (1) mapping the geographic impact of water policies on the city; (2) conducting a city-wide community survey to assess the health needs after a disaster; (3) a citizen science project to test the impact of water shutoffs on residential water quality; and (4) a story mapping project to support youth in telling individual and collective narratives about the impact of austerity on their community. The community based participatory research process has provided statistically significant data to demonstrate the impact of policy interventions on water insecurity and psychological distress among residents. WPD CRC serves as an example of how community participatory research led by community-based organizations can effectively collect qualitative data from local communities and further apply to policy development.
Resource Category: Organizations
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Connecticut State Water Plan
January 2018
In January 2018, the Connecticut Water Planning Council released the Connecticut State Water Plan to coordinate and improve water management in the state and address the impacts of climate change. The plan, designed for policy makers, planners, and regulators, was informed by consultation with stakeholders and drafted through consensus-based decision-making. The State Water Plan recommends policies and management strategies, prioritizes key issues for Connecticut’s water, and identify strategies for improved water management in the future.
Resource Category: Planning
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Oregon 2017 Integrated Water Resources Strategy
December 2017
The 2017 edition of Oregon’s Integrated Water Resources Strategy builds on the state’s 2012 strategy and is aimed at predicting and meeting the state’s instream and out-of-stream water needs, both now and in the future. The updated version addresses climate change as a “cross-cutting issue” and illustrates the need for continuous monitoring of water resources as predictions based off of historical data becomes unpredictable because of climate change. The state’s past efforts are highlighted, including a 2015 Executive Order which called for the 2017 strategy to address drought resiliency, which it does in Chapter 5 (section 5.
Resource Category: Planning
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Looking Forward: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate - National Action Plan Update
November 2016
The federal Interagency Water Resources and Climate Change Workgroup National Action Plan Update addresses integrating climate resilience into water resource management. Looking Forward: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate reviews the highest priority actions that Workgroup member agencies are planning to address in the next several years. General recommendations and priority actions are outlined for the key areas of: Data and Research; Planning and Decision Support; Training and Outreach; and Management and Coordination.
Resource Category: Planning
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City of Chula Vista, California Water Stewardship Plan
November 2016
Chula Vista’s Water Stewardship Plan recommends strategies for sustaining the city's water supply, through water efficiency, recycling and diversification methods such as green infrastructure - while facing a growing population and increasing impacts of drought and climate change. Chula Vista is preparing for water scarcity as an extension of existing sustainability and climate adaptation efforts, recognizing the interdependence between climate change, energy, and water management. The plan assesses current water use in Chula Vista and the city’s previous water stewardship policies and initiatives.
Resource Category: Planning
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EPA 2016 Workplan: National Water Program Response to Climate Change
April 2016
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Water Program Workplan describes the actions that the National Water Program was planning to take in 2016 to implement the National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The 2012 Strategy describes long-term goals for the EPA’s management of sustainable water resources under the impacts of climate change. The EPA states that the Workplan is intended to be a roadmap to guide program planning and inform decision-makers during the Agency’s planning and budgeting process.
Resource Category: Planning
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Chester, Pennsylvania Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan and Community-Based Public-Private Partnership
June 2017
The City of Chester, Pennsylvania introduced the Chester City Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan in 2017 as a means of addressing consistent stormwater pollution and overflow into the Delaware River, Chester Creek, and Ridley Creek watersheds. Chester’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) system often is overwhelmed during high rain and runoff events, which leads to increased flooding and water pollution and degradation of the river basin. The plan details Chester’s specific infrastructure needs, as well as the environmental and social benefits of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). It also analyzes common GSI techniques including rain gardens, green roofs, stormwater planters, and porous pavements, and includes their typical cost. The plan then lists 20 potential sites within the City for GSI projects, guidance for first steps, suggestions for effective community engagement, and potential sources of both public and private funding. To fund the GSI projects, the City formed a community-based public-private partnership (CBP3), which is a different approach to financing stormwater management that expands on the traditional public-private partnership model by incorporating considerations of a community’s economic development needs. Coupled with its focus on green infrastructure as a primary means of stormwater management, this structure promotes not only improvements in water quality but in the community’s overall quality of life. The plan will also address equity through hiring local contractors for the infrastructure projects, training local workers to maintain projects, and creating new maintenance jobs for community members.
Resource Category: Planning
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Climate Change Adaptation in the Water Supply Sector - New Jersey
August 4, 2016
From the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance and Rutgers University, this report provides an overview of projected climate change impacts on water supply in New Jersey, as well as recommended adaptation measures and policy responses to address these issues. The report explores a wide range of local and state level adaptation options for the protection and management of water supply resources and utilities - and is intended to inform the policy discussion on water management in New Jersey to better include climate change impacts.
Author or Affiliated User: Daniel Van Abs
Resource Category: Planning
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California Drought Contingency Plan
January 15, 2016
The 2016 California Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), released by the Department of Water Resources, outlines potential Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) contractors water operations for February through November 2016. The DCP is a planning and implementation document that identifies strategies and actions state agencies should take to prepare for and respond to future droughts or other water shortage events. This state report demonstrates that conservation and preparedness will be essential to future water management in California.
Resource Category: Planning
