Page 114 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

Sanitation District Gains a New Operational Awareness to Improve Wastewater Operations In southeastern Virginia, Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) handles wastewater treatment for 1.7 million people in 20 cities and counties. Sea level rise, unusually high tides, and extreme storms prompted a $1.2 billion program—the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) that involves replenishing the Potomac Aquifer with up to 100 million gallons of SWIFT Water (water treated to meet drinking water standards and matched to the existing groundwater chemistry in the aquifer) per day, an action that may slow or reduce the impact of sea level rise by slowing land settling, or subsidence. "Geologically, sea level rise in our area is not just about water warming and ice caps melting," said Anas Malkawi, chief of asset management, HRSD. The HRSD service area includes a population of 1.7 million people across 20 cities and counties "Those are factors, but it's also due to the overdraw of groundwater that causes the land to sink." 113