Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) is adding a new PFAS treatment component to its Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) program, a broader effort to protect the region's environment and address pressures including Chesapeake Bay restoration, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion in eastern Virginia.
A central part of the programme involves taking highly treated water that would otherwise be discharged into the James River and putting it through advanced treatment to meet drinking water quality standards before it is added back to the Potomac Aquifer, the main source of groundwater in the region.
As the programme scales toward full implementation, HRSD selected Industrie De Nora to supply a SORB FX Ion Exchange (IX) system for PFAS removal at the Nansemond Treatment Plant, part of the broader indirect potable reuse process that treats municipal wastewater before recharge. The selection builds on nearly 20 years of partnership between De Nora and HRSD. The system was designed by Tetra Tech and Carollo Engineers and built by contractor Garney; it is intended to treat up to 34 million gallons of water per day using eleven vessels operating in parallel, with an additional unit on standby. Delivery is expected by the end of 2027.
Beyond replenishing groundwater, the first phase of full scale SWIFT implementation, expected by 2029, will help meet nutrient reduction targets under Virginia's Watershed Implementation Plan, supporting Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts by lowering the phosphorus and nitrogen reaching the James River.
The Nansemond installation is expected to serve as a reference point for other utilities facing similar regulatory pressure to address PFAS contamination in water systems across the country.
