Did you know HRSD is bringing wastewater to drinking water quality standards with an innovative project called SWIFT? Imagine this: water that was previously flushed down your toilet has the potential to be recharged into our groundwater source and used as drinking water in the future.
SWIFT stands for the Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow. The project takes 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 meet drinking water quality standards. The SWIFT Water® is then added to the Potomac Aquifer, the primary source of groundwater throughout eastern Virginia.
Sound interesting? Now you can have a first-hand look at how it all works from the comfort of your home. In response to the global pandemic, HRSD worked to design a way for Hampton Roads residents to still be able to learn about SWIFT while protecting the health and safety of HRSD customers and staff.
Features of the SWIFT Virtual Tour include:
• Nine animated videos highlighting the Potomac Aquifer, the Chesapeake Bay, and the 8-step advanced water treatment process.
• A life-like virtual experience of the SWIFT Research Center.
• Close-up view of the SWIFT artifact wall featuring items such as Potomac Aquifer clay samples and drill bits used to construct the extensometer.
• Large wall-sized posters explaining various components of recharging SWIFT Water® into the Potomac Aquifer.
We’re sorry you can’t be with us in person to view the SWIFT Research Center, but we’ve tried to create the next best thing! We hope to see you there! Click here to take the tour!
Blog contributed by Lacie Wever, Community Education and Outreach Specialist with HRSD.