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Comprehensive Study Says Virginia’s Coastal Groundwater Sources Are Overdrawn
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Engineering News-Record
of Environmental Quality paints a grim picture for the long-term viability of groundwater resources in the state’s eastern coastal region.
The report attributes the limited capacity to decades of overconsumption by paper mills near Franklin and West Point, Va., and other industrial sources, as well as a large influx of domestic groundwater users.
The large withdrawals have caused groundwater levels to fall below sea level, increasing subsidence and potential for saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers.
SWIFT Groundwater Replenishment ProgramOne bright spot highlighted in the report is the Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) program, which district officials say will replenish groundwater levels through aquifer recharge of treated wastewater.
Holloway disputes that conclusion, noting that the district "does not anticipate any conditions that would prevent long-term operation" of SWIFT.