WATER: Flooding & Health Equity in Southside
Workplan Action Towards Environmental Resilience.
WATER
Flooding is more than a water and infrastructure issue. For residents living in areas affected by recurring flooding, it can disrupt daily life, access to health care, transportation, school and work, and a sense of safety.
Southside ReLeaf, the University of Richmond, and the Virginia Department of Health are working together to better understand how chronic flooding affects health and well-being in Southside Richmond through community conversations
What Are We Exploring?
Your experiences will help shape the questions we ask and the research we pursue.
Together, we’re exploring how recurring flooding may affect:
Health care: Emergency response, access to urgent care, and disruptions to routine medical care.
Exposure and health: Contact with standing water, mold, and other potential contaminants, including impacts on chronic health conditions and youth.
Drinking water: Sources and quality of drinking water, including tap and bottled water use.
Daily life and well-being: Perceptions of safety, transportation, school, employment, mental health, stress, and other impacts of recurring flooding.
Community input will help us understand which questions matter most and where future research can make a difference.
Why Your Participation Matters
Research about flooding and health should be shaped by the people who experience flooding.
By sharing your experiences, you can help researchers and community partners better understand the challenges facing Southside communities, identify gaps in what we currently know, and determine what questions deserve further study.
The WATER project will ultimately produce a Flooding and Health Equity Research Roadmap that brings together community-identified priorities, available data, privacy considerations, and potential next steps for future research.
Get Involved in WATER
Whether you live, work, go to school, or serve residents in a Southside community affected by recurring flooding, we want to hear from you. You can shape the research by taking a survey, joining a conversation, or sharing your experience.
Share Your Flooding Experiences
Go with the Flow is a community science project that asks Richmond residents about where and how flooding affects their neighborhoods and daily lives.
Tell Us About Your Drinking Water
Our drinking water survey explores where Richmond residents get their drinking water, how they feel about its quality, and what influences their choices.
Join a Community Conversation
Attend an upcoming listening session or community event to share your experiences, concerns, and ideas with the WATER project team.
