HRSD is hosting a second informational open house to share details about upcoming plant expansion that will bring Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT), Advanced Water Treatment and aquifer replenishment to the James River Plant.
The open house will be from 4-7 p.m. on Jan. 9.
The information shared will be the same as previously provided during the Dec. 7 open house, according to a news release from the city of Newport News
The informational session will be at the plant, 111 City Farm Road in Newport News.
Officials said attendees will:
- Learn more about the wastewater treatment process
- See preliminary expansion design plans and speak with project engineers
- Learn about the many environmental benefits of SWIFT and aquifer replenishment
- Ask questions and provide feedback
- Sample drinking-water quality SWIFT Water
The project takes HRSD’s already highly treated water that would otherwise be discharged into the Elizabeth, James or York rivers and puts it through additional rounds of advanced water treatment to produce drinking quality SWIFT Water.
The SWIFT Water is then treated to match the existing groundwater chemistry and added to the Potomac Aquifer, the primary source of groundwater throughout eastern Virginia, officials said.
The SWIFT Research Center in Suffolk currently adds one million gallons of SWIFT Water to the Potomac Aquifer daily. Once fully implemented SWIFT will replenish the aquifer with up to 100 million gallons of water daily, ensuring a sustainable source of groundwater while also addressing environmental challenges such as Chesapeake Bay restoration, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion, according to the news release.