The Hampton Roads Sanitation District picked Garney to design and build a $952 million wastewater treatment plant in Suffolk, Virginia, according to a news release from the company shared with Construction Dive. The new Nansemond Treatment Plant facility aims to address pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and protect eastern Virginia’s groundwater supply.
North Kansas City, Missouri-based Garney will lead the project team, which includes:
- Pasadena, California-headquartered Tetra Tech as the lead design engineer.
- Walnut Creek, California-based Carollo Engineers, specializing in advanced treatment design.
- MEB of Chesapeake, Virginia, as a contractor partner.
Wastewater is a booming business right now: Major AEC firms such as Jacobs, WSP and AECOM are focusing heavily on water projects, leaders said in recent earnings calls.
The project is part of the sanitation district’s Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow, which aims to ensure a sustainable groundwater source for the region and to address critical environmental challenges. Specifically, SWIFT aims to reduce nutrient discharge into the Chesapeake Bay, replenish Potomac Aquifer groundwater levels, combat sea-level rise, protect against saltwater intrusion and provide essential water resources for businesses.
The facility will use advanced treatment methods, including biofiltration, granular activated carbon and ultraviolet disinfection to convert wastewater into high-quality drinking water, according to the release. This treated water will replenish the Potomac Aquifer, eastern Virginia's primary groundwater source, through 19 managed recharge wells.
Per the project website, the ANRI Facility costs approximately $300 million, the SWIFT facility is approximately $570 million and the recharge wells are approximately $82 million. It is financed with low-interest loans from the EPA and Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Funds as well as wastewater treatment fees paid by HRSD customers.
Construction is set to start in fall 2025 and the facility is expected to start operating in spring 2029, according to the project website.
