The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. Chesapeake receives the majority of its water from the Northwest River in the southeastern part of the city. To deal with intermittent high salt content, Chesapeake implemented an advanced reverse osmosis system at its Northwest River water treatment plant in the late 1990s. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, additional freshwater for the South Hampton Roads area is pumped from Lake Gaston, about west, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border along with the Blackwater and Nottaway rivers. The pipeline is long and in diameter. Much of its follows the former right-of-way of an abandoned portion of the Virginian Railway. It is capable of pumping of water per day. The cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach are partners in the project.
The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. Chesapeake receives the majority of its water from the Northwest River in the southeastern part of the ci.ty. To deal with intermittent high salt content, Chesapeake implemented an advanced reverse osmosis system at its Northwest River water treatment plant in the late 1,990s. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, additional freshwater for the South Hampton Roads area is pumped from Lake Gaston, about west, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border along with the Blackwater and Nottaway rivers. The pipeline is long and in diameter. Much of its follows the former right-of-way of an abandoned portion of the Virginian Railway. It is capable of pumping of water per day. The cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach are partners in the project.