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“Willard Avenue Pump Station Replacement and Sewer Improvements”
Willard Avenue Pump Station Replacement
Hampton Trunk Sewer Extension Division K Gravity Improvements
HRSD Capital Improvement Program Projects (BH013020 & BH014900)

Webpage Reviewed: April 2, 2026

HRSD, your regional wastewater treatment utility, is undertaking a project to replace the existing Willard Avenue Pump Station located at 219 National Avenue and associated gravity sewer lines. The new pump station, located at the corner of S. Willard Avenue and Downes Street, will resolve capacity, operational, and maintenance issues that currently affect the existing pump station as it nears the end of its useful life. The new gravity sewer on Willard Avenue from National Avenue to Downes Street will be replaced to redirect flow and resolve Infiltration and Inflow issues. When the new pump station is completed, the existing pump station will be removed, and the existing site will be returned to green space. Additional gravity sewer work will be completed along Willard Avenue between Downes Street and E. Kelly Avenue to resolve similar infiltration and Inflow issues.

To view the map of the Willard Avenue Pump Stations, click here.

Project Cost: $16,000,000

Notices

March 2026 - Construction Status Update #20

October 2025 - Construction Status Update #19

August 2025 - Construction Status Update #18a

May 2025 - Construction Status Update #18

May 2025 - Construction Status Update #17a

March 2025 - Construction Status Update #17

March 2025 - Construction Status Update #16

Willard Avenue Pump Station and Gravity Sewer Replacement Virtual Presentation (BH013020 & BH014900)

March 10, 2026

Gravity sewer installation and associated manhole work is continuing between National Avenue to Downes Street which will be followed by waterline replacement in this area. This work is expected to be complete by Summer 2026. Following completion of the gravity sewer installation, the old Willard Avenue Pump Station will be demolished.

Restoration will immediately follow. Traffic control and bypass piping will remain in place for the duration of the work, and some detours and road closures may be required. Access and parking for residents and businesses will be maintained.

The majority of the work regarding the pump station will be conducted on HRSD property and will have minimal impact on traffic; however, construction traffic will be entering and exiting the site from S. Willard Avenue and Downes Street. The gravity sewer work planned for S. Willard Avenue will require isolated lane closures. Comprehensive traffic control plans will be implemented to minimize inconvenience.

Staging:: Fall 2022

Construction:: Fall 2022 - Summer 2026

Restoration:: Immediately following construction when seasonably appropriate

: The project is necessary in order to provide reliable conveyance of sewage in the Phoebus area. Replacing the existing pump station with new modernized infrastructure will help to ensure wastewater capacity is adequate and will optimize HRSD’s ability to protect public health and the environment for decades to come.
: The project consists of work to be done on HRSD property as well as sewer pipeline work to be installed in S. Willard Avenue and Downes Street. The majority of this work will be conducted on HRSD property and will have minimal impact on traffic. For the sewer pipeline work being installed in S. Willard Avenue and Downes Street, single lane traffic will be maintained throughout most of construction. Flagging may be used to help direct traffic as needed. Occasionally, block closures requiring minimal detours will be needed. Signage will be in place to direct traffic around any closures.
: The contractor will ensure that access to residences and at least one entrance to businesses will be maintained throughout construction. Trash and mail services should not be affected. If necessary, the contractor will move trash containers from within a work zone to an area accessible for pickup and will be responsible for returning them to each residence.
: Work will typically take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours (7 a.m. - 5 p.m.). However, there may be times when extended hours, work at night, or weekend work may be necessary.
: Your sewer service may be temporarily interrupted while work is performed on the sewer lateral pipe that serves your property or the gravity sewer which accepts flow from your lateral. The contractor will notify you before work begins so you can plan appropriately. Sewer service typically will be restored within several hours. Your water service should not be affected by this project.
: Where sewer and lateral pipes are dug up, asphalt, curb, gutters, driveway aprons, and grass will be removed and then restored upon completion of the project.
: The typical construction noises such as equipment engines, back-up alarms, materials being delivered, diesel generators, air compressors, sawing, etc. should be anticipated.
: The contractor will store materials and supplies on the site of the existing Willard Avenue Pump Station, the new Willard Avenue Pump Station, and in areas of the street that are temporarily closed for construction. The contractor will transport them throughout the project area as they are needed.
: Construction workers will not be allowed to park their personal vehicles in areas impacting residents or services such as mail and trash collection. Work trucks will be allowed to park within the active work zone.
: The estimated cost for the project is $16 million and is financed by the wastewater treatment fees paid by HRSD customers.
: Regular project updates are posted on the HRSD website at www.hrsd.com/construction-status. You may also sign up at www.hrsd.com/subscriptions to receive an email notification whenever the website has an update about the project.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments about the project, please feel free to contact: Shawn Maxfield, HRSD Public Information Specialist, at 757.833.7483 or smaxfield@hrsd.com

Public Information Specialist:: Shawn Maxfield
757.833.7483 (Office)

City of Hampton Contact:: McCord Newsome

Onsite Inspector (immediate/emergent concern):: Larry Sumpter

HRSD Project Manager:: Ted Denny

Additional Information:: Projects@hrsd.com

Chief of Communications:: Leila Rice, APR
757.460.7056 (Office)

Engineering Consultant Firm:: RK&K
Newport News, Virginia

Engineering Consultant Project Lead:: Ryan Delo

Contractor:: Kiewit Infrastructure South Co.

Contractor Field Project Manager:: Jack Cosgrove

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“James River Treatment Plant SWIFT Improvements”
James River SWIFT Facility
James River SWIFT Treatment Plant Advanced Nutrient Reduction Improvements
James River Land Improvements
James River Recharge Wells

HRSD Capital Improvement Program Project (GN016360, JR013400, GN016344, GN016361 and GN016362)

Webpage Reviewed: April 2, 2026

HRSD, your regional wastewater treatment utility, is implementing the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Program by constructing the first SWIFT Facility at the James River Treatment Plant to produce a highly-treated water (SWIFT Water®) that meets drinking water standards and is suitable for recharge of the Potomac Aquifer. From the James River SWIFT Facility, HRSD intends to recharge the Potomac Aquifer with up to 16 million gallons a day (mgd) of SWIFT Water®. This Program will help reverse declining groundwater levels, significantly reduce the amount of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Chesapeake Bay, and may reduce saltwater intrusion and land subsidence, thereby helping to ensure HRSD’s ability to protect public health and the environment in alignment with HRSD’s Mission and Promise.

These James River Treatment Plant SWIFT Improvements also include multiple separate projects, including recharge well drilling to support aquifer replenishment and approximately two miles of new walking/running trails to enhance Riverview Farm Park. The well drilling will occur at multiple sites within the Riverview Farm Park and James River Treatment Plant. The new trail system will be constructed in two phases. When all phases are complete the trails will provide connections from Riverview Farm Park to the Menchville Marina; a trail along Flax Mill Creek, the James River, and Deep Creek; interior connectivity; and a link to planned amenities associated with new well house buildings as part of the SWIFT project.

To learn more about SWIFT or to schedule a tour of the SWIFT Research Center (located at HRSD’s Nansemond Treatment Plant in Suffolk, VA), please visit www.hrsd.com/swift/.

Project Cost: Ranges between $500 and $600 million dollars

Timeline:

timeline

* Please see the Update section for current project status.

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Notices

February 2026 - Construction Notice Update #33

November 2025 - Construction Notice Update #32

July 2025 - Construction Notice Update #30

May 2025 - Construction Notice Update #29

March 2025 - Construction Notice Update #28

December 2024 - Construction Notice Update #27

October 2024 - Construction Notice Update #26

October 2024 - Construction Notice Update #25

September 2024 - Construction Notice Update #24

James River Land Improvement Project Virtual Presentation - February 2, 2022

James River Treatment Plant-SWIFT Facility Virtual Presentation (December 2020)

March 10, 2026

HRSD's James River Treatment Plant is under construction. Occasional weekend work may be scheduled as needed during construction in addition to the work that occurs during the week. Ongoing construction activities for the project include site restoration such as backfilling and site grading, removal of soils, installation of piping, development of the City’s property in the City Farm area of Riverview Farm Park for construction usage, and work impacting the City's property for the gymnastic center access roadway. In addition, temporary pumping operations have begun which will help with start-up testing. The pumping operations are anticipated to be continuous and noise levels will be minimized to align with city traffic requirements.
Modifications are ongoing to public infrastructure. You may see activity in Riverview Farm Park and near the roadway to the Gymnastics Center associated with installation of piping, minor modifications to the roadway, or excavation for underground structures. You may also experience some traffic management as work is ongoing at various locations. Temporary bypass trails are installed and opened for usage; signage will be placed in the park to direct trail users to these trails when permanent trails are impacted. Work impacting the city is being closely coordinated with the city personnel.

Trail construction is complete, and the newly built trail is open for public use. The public may access the newly built trail through Riverview Farm Park or the Menchville Marina. Well drilling activities have been completed at the Riverview Farm Park. The project has commenced construction of the well house to enclose the wells, and the public may see piping and other architectural materials in the Riverview Farm Park. At the Future Recharge Well #6, gravel, erosion and sediment control fencing, and wire fencing may be visible to the public as well (please refer to Project Map to see these locations). When construction traffic crosses the trails, the contractor will utilize spotters or flaggers as needed to temporarily stop the public for safety. Some noise may be associated with these construction activities. As a comparison, the noise is expected to be no louder than what city traffic would be at a distance of 100 feet away. Additional well drilling activities associated with the groundwater monitoring and quality by the U.S. Geological survey (USGS) commenced in May 2025. These wells will be drilled on the west end of the James River Treatment Plant. Drilling operations are scheduled to be conducted during the hours of 7 AM to 6 PM Monday through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The USGS work is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2026.

The work will occur on both HRSD and City property; most of the construction traffic will be entering and exiting the James River Treatment Plant site on City Farm Road from Riverview Parkway. Traffic for construction of well drilling or trail construction will be entering their work sites from multiple City owned roads. Comprehensive traffic control plans will be implemented to minimize inconvenience.

Menchville Road – Will provide some access for construction of well drilling sites.

Riverview Parkway – Will provide some access for construction to the new trail system site.

Staging:: Summer 2022

Construction:: Spring 2022 - Late 2026

Restoration:: Immediately following construction when seasonably appropriate

This is the first project of the broader Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Program which will add advanced water treatment processes, producing highly-treated water (SWIFT Water®) that meets drinking water standards and is suitable for recharge of the Potomac Aquifer. Once complete, the projects at the James River Treatment Plant will improve the existing plant effluent in addition to producing up to 16 million gallons per day of SWIFT water. At completion of the broader SWIFT program, HRSD intends to recharge the Potomac Aquifer with up to 100 million gallons of SWIFT Water per day. This program will help reverse declining groundwater levels, reduce saltwater intrusion, slow or reduce land subsidence, and significantly reduce the amount of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Chesapeake Bay, thereby helping to ensure HRSD’s ability to protect public health and the environment for decades to come.

Disruptions to traffic will be minimized and no planned detours are necessary, but flagging will be used to help direct traffic as needed.

The contractor will ensure that access to residences and the public facilities will be maintained throughout construction. Trash and mail services will not be affected.

Work will typically take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours (7 a.m. - 5 p.m.). However, certain projects, such as well drilling, may require extended hours, work at night, or weekend work.

The work performed will be inside the James River Treatment Plant property, and no interruptions are anticipated. Should the need to temporarily interrupt your water or sewer arise, the contractor will notify you so you can plan accordingly.

As construction traffic will be required on Riverview Parkway, City Farm Road, and Menchville Road, the contractor will be required to correct any damage during the project and restore the roadways and adjacent swales, if required, upon completion of the project.

Although all work is confined to the treatment plant property, the typical construction noises such as equipment engines, back-up alarms, materials being delivered, pile driving, diesel generator, air compressors, sawing, etc. should be anticipated.

The contractor will store some material and equipment within the treatment plant property or in fenced-off, secure, designated laydown areas.

Construction workers will not be allowed to park their personal vehicles on the public streets.

The estimated cost for the project is between $500 - $600 million and is partially financed by the wastewater treatment fees paid by HRSD customers in addition to low interest loans from the EPA and Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Funds.

HRSD is preparing to recycle water that previously was treated and released to the environment from the James River Treatment Plant. SWIFT, the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow will put the highly treated water through additional advanced treatment processes to become SWIFT Water™, treated to meet drinking water standards. The SWIFT Water™ will be used to recharge the Potomac Aquifer (our regional groundwater supply that has been overused for decades).

The new SWIFT treatment facilities at the James River Treatment Plant will produce 16 million gallons of SWIFT Water™ each day. Each well has the capacity to recharge the aquifer with up to two million gallons per day. Therefore, multiple wells are required to meet the target recharge capacity. The wells are spread throughout the park because they require separation to reduce their influence on each other when recharging the aquifer.

Up to ten wells will be operated daily to support recharge, allowing for up to two of the wells to be taken out of service for cleaning (backflush) or maintenance. HRSD can accommodate four on the James River Treatment Plant property, and the remaining six have been located in areas around River View Farm Park.

The pumps that recharge the aquifer with SWIFT Water are located at the treatment plant. Water is sent under pressure via underground pipes from the treatment plant to the wells in the well houses and directly into the aquifer without additional pumping.

The well houses protect the well heads and above ground equipment associated with the recharge wells (where SWIFT Water™ enters the aquifer, hundreds of feet below the ground). The equipment in each well house includes piping, valves, and a large backflush pump. The well house protects the equipment from the weather and conceals the industrial look of this equipment in an attractive building similar in appearance to other park facilities. The well houses will also be equipped with exterior amenities park goers will be able to enjoy, including some with restrooms and shelter areas.

No, well house operations will not produce odors. SWIFT Water™ is drinking-water-quality water that is treated to match the existing groundwater chemistry within the aquifer and is odorless.

These well backflush pumps withdraw water from the well to clean the well much like the way a pool filter is backwashed periodically to keep the filter from clogging. During normal operations, backflushing occurs once or twice a day for 30 to 60 minutes. The water withdrawn from the well during backflushing is piped back to the plant, using a separate dedicated pipe, where it can be put back into the treatment process. Pump backflush will be asynchronous. Pumps will be backflushed when the pressure builds up from screen blinding. While we would like to schedule them at night, there may be times they occur randomly during the day.

The only noisy equipment in the well house is the backflush pump used periodically for cleaning the well (running less than twice daily for up to an hour each time). HRSD is designing and constructing each well housing with sound dampening materials, such as acoustical CMU and sound dampening blankets, to reduce the noises heard to levels well below city requirements. Testing will be performed before and after construction to confirm the sound levels from pump operation are appropriately reduced to near background level.

To avoid peak electrical demand charges, backflushing may be scheduled for overnight hours. The frequency and duration of backflushing is set by pressure build-up within the recharge well and could occur at any time.

HRSD will access the well house buildings several times per week utilizing a golf cart or bicycle on the existing trail. From time-to-time, major repairs or maintenance will require HRSD to use larger equipment to access the well houses. These events will be coordinated with Newport News Park officials.

Newport News Parks and Recreation will develop the education material for the pump houses.

: HRSD will work with Parks and Recreation to develop temporary trail routes and modify park access as needed for people to continue park enjoyment. When safe access cannot be maintained, disruptions may occur; these disruptions will be minimized as much as possible.
: This section of the trail will remain open as much as possible for access to the overlook. You may experience temporary closures when safe access cannot be maintained such as during construction of the new trail around HRSD’s property.
: The existing dog park will remain accessible during construction as much as possible. Temporary closures may occur during relocation of fencing and amenities.
: The building will be demolished as part of HRSD’s improvements to the park. HRSD will provide a temporary meeting space for public usage until the Administration Building meeting space is available for reservations.
: There will not be a fee.
: The meeting space may accommodate 30 to 40 people depending on the table setup.
: The City Archeologist will be notified in advance of park earth-moving construction. If artifacts are discovered during construction, HRSD will work with the City to properly excavate the discoveries.
: Please contact Newport News Parks and Recreation for information regarding the park.

: The Managed Aquifer Recharge wells are necessary to convey SWIFT Water™ to the Potomac Aquifer. There are a total of ten wells required for conveyance, six of which are located within the City’s property.
: No. The drilling process used to make the borehole for the well uses fluids and is conducted at very low pressures and volumes. The fluids are used to cool the drill bit, help remove the soil cuttings and keep the borehole open.
: No. The well installation process is completely separate from your water and sewer service provided by the City of Newport News.
: No. Drilling is conducted using a rotary drill bit, similar to drilling into wood. The drill bit cuts the soil and removes it from the hole; there is no driving hammer used to advance the hole.
: While standing close to the drill rig, the sound can be loud; however, the measurements of sound drop off relatively quickly with distance. At 75 feet from the site, the noise is below the sound of normal city traffic, and at 100 feet from the site, the noise is similar to normal conversation. Where drilling occurs close to residential housing, sound barriers will be erected to reduce sound from drilling.
: Well sites with vegetative buffers and over 300-feet from residential neighborhoods will have a 24-hour schedule to shorten the overall construction schedule and disruption to the public. Well sites without vegetative buffers and less than 300-feet from residential neighborhoods will be drilled on a 12-hour schedule, typically during daylight hours. Wells with a 12-hour drilling schedule may be adjusted to accommodate additional hours this increase will be based on well activities, time or year with increased vegetative buffer or installed sound dampening barriers.
: For well sites that have a 24-hour schedule, well installation may take approximately 8 months per well. For well sites that have a 12-hour schedule installation may take approximately 10 months per well. The entire project should be completed in early 2026.
: The wells will be installed to a total depth of approximately 1,200 feet below the ground surface, with some minor variation at each site. The wells will be designed to interact with the Potomac Aquifer, starting at approximately 400 feet below the ground surface and continuing to the bottom of each well.
: No. The wells are being constructed to connect to the deep aquifer system (400 – 1200 feet below the surface) and will have no effect on surface features. Your home’s foundation, surface features and yard will not be impacted by well installation.
: No. The site recharge wells serving the James River SWIFT facility are being drilled to a much lower elevation than any residential water wells adjacent to the site, conveying SWIFT Water™ into the Potomac Aquifer. In addition, groundwater moves at a very slow pace and the farther SWIFT Water™ moves away from the recharge wellfield, the slower it travels. This means that it may take up to 100 years or longer for SWIFT Water™ to migrate to a residential well.

This project is part of the commitment HRSD made in the land purchase agreement with the City. This agreement includes approximately 2 miles of additional trails to include mixed-use, pedestrian only, boardwalk, and asphalt. These trails will offer new experiences of wildlife, water views, and areas to rest and enjoy the new park amenities.

HRSD coordinated conceptual trail routes with the City of Newport News Parks and Recreation Department and shared this information with the community during open house meetings, on social media and HRSD.com. The conceptual trail routes were part of the HRSD land purchase agreement with the City of Newport News.

Trails will be located on HRSD and City property. The area around the James River Treatment Plant will accommodate a new pedestrian only trail connecting Riverview Farm Park to City Farm. This mix of boardwalk and asphalt trail will offer expansive views of the James River. Other trails will be located in the City’s City Farm area of Riverview Farm Park, Riverview Farm Park and to Menchville Marina.

Due to the discovery of human remains in the area of the new Flax Mill Creek trail, HRSD’s Unanticipated Discovery Plan was initiated in coordination with the City of Newport News Archaeologist, City of Newport News Police Department and Medical Examiner’s Office, Department of Historic Resources (DHR), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This discovery has stopped work in this trail area since August 2023 and will delay the timely completion of trail construction. As required by Department of Historic Resources, HRSD’s engineering team, specifically our archaeological consultants, James River Institute for Archeology, submitted a plan and received a permit for further investigation of the area. This investigation is now complete. The results of the investigation have determined the presence of an unmarked cemetery within the proposed path of the trail. The history and identity of those interred in the unmarked cemetery are unknown. However, Department of Historic Resources determined that it would be inappropriate to exhume and re-inter the multiple persons discovered in this area. All documentation of the discovery has been provided to the Department of Historic Resources, the City of Newport News, and to other involved federal, state, and local agencies. To complete construction of this section of trail, HRSD has worked with our engineering team to avoid the unmarked cemetery by realigning the trail to the west of the initial path within the designated recreation easement and City-owned property. The area east of the impacted trail section is not suitable for trail realignment as it is private property and is encumbered by stormwater management ponds and the treatment plant. This necessary and limited realignment plan has been approved by Department of Historic Resources and by the City of Newport News, as it provides sensitive and respectful consideration for those interred and for the historical nature of the area.

This cemetery was unmarked and therefore not previously known by federal, state, and local agencies. All federal, state, and local permitting requirements and procedures were followed. Our construction permits required both desktop and field investigations to identify all known environmental and historical considerations. During this process, no considerations were identified within this area of the trail, therefore the planned path was given all approvals for construction. While the project followed all federal, state, and city requirements for permitting, unforeseen conditions and discoveries may still occur during construction. HRSD was prepared for this potential situation by having an approved Unanticipated Discovery Plan documented prior to the start of construction. Clearing and excavation work for a boardwalk section of the trail resulted in the discovery. HRSD’s team members are working to properly document and protect the unmarked cemetery from future disturbance.

The City of Newport News Parks and Recreation Department plans on opening the entire new trail system when all construction work is complete. This means the early opening of the trail section from the Menchville Marina to the new parking lot is now delayed and will coincide with completion of the entire new trail system. All trails will be completed by 2026, and will provide a total of almost two miles of new trails in Riverview Farm Park.

Although sections of the trail may appear complete, this area is still an active construction area and is not open for walking, biking, or driving vehicles. Please be safe and do not enter the areas of the new trail system at this time.

A public parking area will be provided at the trail head as part of this project. Additional parking will be available near the trail head once HRSD’s new Administration Building is open.

Regular project updates are posted on the HRSD website at www.hrsd.com/construction-status. You may also sign up at www.hrsd.com/subscriptions to receive an email notification whenever the website has an update about the project. To learn more about SWIFT or to schedule a tour of the SWIFT Research Center (located at HRSD’s Nansemond Treatment Plant in Suffolk, VA), please visit SWIFTVA.com.

Regular project updates will be posted on the HRSD website at www.hrsd.com/construction-status. You may also sign up at www.hrsd.com/subscriptions to receive an email notification whenever the website has an update about the project. To learn more about SWIFT or to schedule a tour of the SWIFT Research Center (located at HRSD’s Nansemond Treatment Plant in Suffolk, VA), please visit SWIFTVA.com.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about the project, please feel free to contact:
Shawn Maxfield, HRSD Public Information Specialist, at 757.833.7483 or smaxfield@hrsd.com

Public Information Specialist:: Shawn Maxfield
757.833.7483 (Office)

City of Newport News Contact:: Will Roche

HRSD Project Manager:: Lauren Zuravnsky
Dan Holloway
Aaron Montgomery
Beatriz Patino

Additional Information: Projects@hrsd.com

Chief of Communications: Leila Rice, APR
757.460.7056 (Office)

Program Management Consultant Firm:: AECOM, Norfolk, VA

Program Manager:: Bo Bodniewicz

Contractor:: Ulliman Schutte – Alberici Joint Venture (SWIFT and ANRI), A.C. Schultes (Well Drilling) and Trails (Howard Brothers)

Contractor Field Project Manager:: Wade Vaughan (US-A JV Design-Build)