Needing a fast-track solution to combat seasonal droughts and maintain a reliable water source for it 350,000 customers, Newport News Waterworks called on CDM to design a brackish groundwater well field and 6-mgd reverse osmosis (RO) treatment plant. The project converts a previously unusable brackish water supply into high-quality drinking water, and augments the existing supply to meet growing demands.
CDM's 3-month pilot program evaluated membrane fouling and confirmed performance projections, and test wells were drilled in two different brackish aquifers, at depths ranging from 600 to 1,000 feet. The RO plant utilizes RO booster pumps with variable-frequency drives, is one of the first in the U.S. to use energy recovery turbo pumps, and operates with a recovery rate of 81.4 percent.
The project won a Grand Award from the American Consulting Engineers Council in 1999.
CLIENT: Newport News Waterworks
LOCATION: Newport News, Virginia