But no one has provided any evidence that any of these alternatives alone is a practicable option for meeting the Lower Peninsula s long-term water needs. In fact, the Corps 1997 FEIS presented substantial evidence that they are not, and nothing has happened since then to alter this conclusion. Newport News is desalting its groundwater - we just opened a desalting plant in Lee Hall. Some water reuse projects are under development, but the Virginia Department of Health has said that reusing wastewater through blending with existing supplies is not acceptable. The dilution and separation requirements that are practiced at Occoquan Reservoir in Northern Virginia, for instance, are not achievable on the Peninsula We are promoting water conservation.
Open water surrounding our area is very high in salt content, rendering it undrinkable.
Southside Hampton Roads will need all of Norfolk s water by or before the Year 2030, as decades of studies have shown and updated data confirm. Rather than dividing up this limited pie to serve more communities, the Hampton Roads area must be allowed to develop more, and better, sources of water. State and federal regulations ensure the natural needs of the river are provided for before the first gallon is withdrawn. Protecting the river from changing salinity is a primary focus of investigations. Work by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science indicates no significant change in salinity is expected.