SUFFOLK – HRSD signed a three-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Korean Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) and Wintec Glovis this week, formally partnering to pilot their superheated steam-based granular activated carbon reactivation technology at the SWIFT Research Center, becoming the first organization in the United States to pilot test the eco-friendly process.

Granular activated carbon is used in the SWIFT carbon-based advanced water treatment process to remove organic carbon and emerging contaminants and is also responsible for meeting the new drinking water maximum contaminant limits for PFAS to achieve drinking water quality SWIFT Water®. GAC must be reactivated once it loses its efficacy and is a significant part of SWIFT operating costs. Conventional reactivation is typically performed thermally in a multiple hearth or rotary kiln furnace. Finding a cost-effective GAC reactivation approach is critical for sustainability, accessibility and efficacy.

“We are committed to developing practical and science-based solutions that can be applied at real scale. The collaboration we’ve formalized with K-Water and Wintec Glovis allows us to evaluate a promising approach for granular activated carbon reactivation using superheated steam. This pilot is not only about technology. It is about learning together. It is about reducing environmental impact. And it is about creating solutions that can help communities around the world,” remarked HRSD General Manger and CEO Jay Bernas following the MOU signing.

Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Charles Bott remarked, “Superheated steam offers significant advantages over traditional thermal reactivation, and HRSD is looking forward to fully evaluating this technology for cost-effective SWIFT operation in the years to come.”

About HRSD: HRSD is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia created by public referendum in 1940 and currently serves 20 cities and counties in southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore, an area with a population of 1.9 million.

HRSD Vision: Our communities will have clean waterways and reliable water resources for generations to come.

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