Infrastructure matters. It matters, in big ways and in small ways, to our country, our economy, our quality of life, our safety, and our communities. Roads, bridges, rails, ports, airports, pipes, the power grid, broadband… infrastructure matters to companies that manufacture and ship goods. It matters to our daily commutes and our summer vacations. Infrastructure determines if we can drink water straight from our taps and flush our toilets or do our laundry. It brings electricity in to our homes.
Infrastructure matters at HRSD’s Virginia Initiative Plant in Norfolk.
Every dollar we invest in infrastructure is an investment in our neighborhoods, and our future. In fact, for every $1 invested in infrastructure nearly $2 in output is created. Infrastructure puts our friends and neighbors to work.
Ultimately, infrastructure matters to every aspect of our daily lives. That is why askHRgreen has teamed up with hundreds of other groups around the country to participate in Infrastructure Week 2016. We’re raising awareness about the need to invest in infrastructure, which is the backbone of our economy, locally and nationally.
In Hampton Roads we expect safe, clean, and reliable water and wastewater service, but do you know what goes into maintaining our water and wastewater infrastructure? There are more than 6,500 miles pipes that carry clean water to our homes and businesses, 5,800 miles of pipelines that take the dirty water away, and 9 wastewater treatment plants that clean the dirty water we create throughout Hampton Roads!
Maintaining our sewer system protects our waterways from sewage pollution, something that was all too common in our region before HRSD was created. We’ve made a lot of progress but our work is nowhere near complete. Upgrades are essential and since so much of this work goes unseen, HRSD wants to take you on a virtual tour of a wastewater treatment plant upgrade that is happening NOW!
HRSD’s Virginia Initiative Plant (VIP) in Norfolk is undergoing a $156 million project that will enhance its ability to remove nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from wastewater, increase the hydraulic capacity so the plant can treat additional flows during storms, and replace aging equipment to improve operations. The VIP project is doing more than protecting public health, improving water quality and enhancing reliable wastewater treatment – it is also providing jobs in our region for contractors and their suppliers.
Take a virtual tour of the VIP Project.
Learn more about Infrastructure Week 2016 and why #InfrastructureMatters.