Written by Lacie Wever, HRSD Community Education and Outreach Specialist Published on June 28, 2024
We're celebrating Virginia Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Day this week!
Wastewater professionals are essential to ensuring communities have access to clean water and a safe environment. Today, we take a moment to recognize their invaluable contributions to our communities on Wastewater Professionals Day.
.png)
June 30 marks Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Day in Virginia! The governor of Virginia has declared that without drinking water and wastewater treatment, the United States would suffer thousands of deaths each year due to waterborne diseases. This is because proper wastewater treatment is crucial to public health. Treating wastewater prevents harmful pathogens from entering the environment and limits the amount of pollutants in our waterways, such as nitrogen and phosphorous.
The Commonwealth produces an average of more than 917 million gallons of wastewater each day! Proper wastewater treatment protects the ecological health of Virginia's surface water including the James River and Chesapeake Bay.
In 2023, HRSD had an average daily flow of 140 million gallons per day (MGD) with a service area of 20 cities and counties in southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore. Our employees provide wastewater services to help create a healthy environment here in Hampton Roads.
Here are some of the responsibilities of our wastewater professionals:
1. Designing and maintaining wastewater treatment systems: our engineers help design systems and ensure that they comply with environmental regulations to fulfill the HRSD vision that our communities will have clean waterways and reliable water resources for generations to come.
2. Operating treatment plants: our operations department plays a vital role in ensuring our treatment processes run smoothly 24/7. They operate and maintain HRSD's wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, pipelines, buildings, and equipment! From wastewater operators to interceptors, the hard work performed by these wastewater professionals truly helps us understand the value of water.
3. Research and analysis: at HRSD, we have dedicated an entire division to supporting new initiatives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our treatment operations. This research is vital for advancing wastewater treatment technologies such as SWIFT and Cambi THP.
4. Communications and public education: part of our role and responsibilities to help safeguard the environment is engaging with communities to provide education on the importance of wastewater treatment and pollution prevention in the Chesapeake Bay.
5. Water Quality: ensures the quality of water discharged by industries into the treatment systems and the quality of the treated wastewater that is returned to the environment. This includes our Central Environmental Lab and our Pretreatment Pollution Prevention Division.
.png)
6. Finance, Information Technology, and Talent Management: works to handle fiscal affairs, HRSD's information infrastructure, and hiring/retaining qualified professionals.
From our governor-appointed commissioners to our incredibly dedicated HRSD employees, we're happy to be part of the designated week of Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day! The challenge of climate change, population growth, and emerging contaminants of concern will continue to require innovation and dedication from wastewater professionals.
So, the next time you flush your toilet or take a shower, remember the wastewater professionals who make it all possible!
Happy Virginia Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Day!