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Last Updated: Jul 28th, 2008 |
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As a major municipality and chemical industry center, Hopewell has a
critical interest in preserving and improving the water quality and the
living resources of the James River. Here is an update on the
"state of the river" and what that means to all of us.
What are we doing? The
Hopewell Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (HRWTF) was designed to
remove pollutants from domestic and industrial wastewater. The
treated water, called effluent, is then released back to the James
River.
Scientists at HRWTF also perform leading-edge environmental studies to
help us understand and protect this important natural resource.
Since 1998, HRWTF has monitored water quality throughout the region,
studied the controls on the health of the river, and has worked with
the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to restore underwater
grasses to the James River.
Water Quality is Good near Hopewell, particularly with regard to
dissolved oxygen. In fact, the James River has the best oxygen
conditions of all of Virginia's major tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay.
Near Hopewell, the river has relatively high concentrations of
nutrients. Although algae concentrations are high in the spring
and summer, they generally do not form nuisance blooms or deplete
oxygen in the water.
Water clarity in the James River near Hopewell is very low, which is
characteristic of the entire tidal portion of the river. The high
turbidity is caused by both runoff of sediment from the land and
suspension of river sediments and algae by waves and tidal
currents. The turbidity makes it difficult for underwater grasses
to survive, which may explain why this part of the river probably never
had abundant grass beds. However, continuing studies by HRWTF and
VIMS have shown that transplanted grasses can grow near Hopewell, but
are vulnerable to being eaten by aquatic animals such as turtles and
fish.
Water Quality is Getting Better near Hopewell. It has improved
greatly over the last 30 years because of the operation of treatment
plants such as HRWTF, and other pollution reduction efforts such as
non-point source controls. In fact, dissolved oxygen
concentrations have increased 10-15 percent since the mid-1980s and
nutrient concentrations have decreased as much as 50 percent.
Baileys Creek, which had very little dissolved oxygen in the 1970s, now
supports a healthy fish population.
Habitat Exerts a Strong Control on Living Resources. Fish
populations are very healthy throughout the tidal freshwater James
River. In contrast, bottom-dwelling creatures (called benthic
macroinvertebrates) have low diversity, primarily because of the muddy
river bottom. This muddy bottom also affects the survival of
underwater grasses that prefer a sandy habitat.
Ongoing Efforts: HRWTF
continues to monitor water quality in the Hopewell estuary region so
that the benefits of new treatment technologies may be assessed.
These new technologies are geared to reducing nutrients in the plant
effluent. By monitoring water quality, HRWTF will be able to
predict how the river will benefit from further reduction of nutrients
in the plant effluent.
A water quality computer model of the region is being developed that
will be used to predict how changes in nutrient contributions from both
point sources (from single identifiable source such as a treatment
plant) and non-point (not specific in origin such as runoff from
developed or agricultural land) sources will affect the water quality
of Baileys Creek, Baileys Bay, and the main channel of the James River
near Hopewell. In this way, HRWTF will determine the best way to
invest its financial resources to maintain a healthy James River.
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