In its training and technical assistance program funded through a Department of Health and Human Services Office of Community Services (OCS) grant, the agency assisted 59 communities throughout the seven-state region in developing the capability and expertise to establish and maintain affordable water and wastewater treatment facilities.
Some basic statistics describing these communities show the broad impact of Southeast RCAP's work there. The total population of all 59 communities assisted is 40,685, and the total number of households served is 15,575. The majority of the communities assisted are very small in population. Seventy-three percent have populations under 1,000 residents. The total number of low-income residents benefiting from this program is 13,332, or 33% of the total population served. These figures include those low-income individuals in small communities that were in the process of obtaining new water and/or wastewater systems, as well as those low-income persons who actually gained access to these systems for the first time.
Southeast RCAP far exceeded its goals of funds to be leveraged for total agency projects and OCS projects during the program year. Approximately $27.5 million in public sector funds was leveraged for projects with an additional $448,509 in private sector funds. The original OCS program goal of $18.7 million seems modest by comparison.
For assistance with this program, contact Jeff Slack at jslack@sercap.org.