Staying Ahead of the Obstacles: HRSD’s Path to Implementing Large Scale Managed Aquifer Recharge

The Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow (SWIFT) will add advanced water treatment (AWT) processes to treat wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent to drinking water standards or better. The AWT treated water will then be injected into the Potomac Aquifer System (PAS) to counter rapidly depleting aquifer levels which is leading to reduced groundwater withdrawal permit levels, land subsidence, and saltwater intrusion into the PAS. The SWIFT program enhances the sustainability of the region’s long-term groundwater supply and also reduces the existing, permitted nutrient load currently entering the sensitive Chesapeake Bay.The SWIFT program began in concept in 2015 and has proceeded through pilot testing and the construction of a 1 MGD demonstration facility. HRSD is now focused on implementation of full-scale facilities. This paper will highlight some of the challenges that HRSD has encountered and overcome in implementing large scale managed aquifer recharge.