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Naturally Speaking: Brantley Bissette
June 5 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
HRSD’s Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) is an innovative water treatment initiative in eastern Virginia designed to ensure a sustainable source of groundwater while addressing environmental challenges such as Chesapeake Bay restoration, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. The multi-year initiative will take already highly treated wastewater (that would otherwise be discharged into the Elizabeth, James or York rivers) through additional advanced water treatment to produce drinking quality water. This SWIFT Water™ will then be treated to match the existing groundwater chemistry and added to the Potomac Aquifer, the primary source of groundwater throughout eastern Virginia.
SWIFT is designed to
(1) help the Bay by significantly reducing the amount of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that HRSD discharges to the James, Elizabeth and York rivers,
(2) replenish our dwindling groundwater supply, allowing this natural resource to remain productive for generations to come,
(3) fight sea level rise by reducing the rate at which land is sinking in Hampton Roads,
(4) protect groundwater from saltwater intrusion due to a shrinking aquifer
(5) support Virginia’s economy by providing businesses with the water they need to operate.
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Brantley Bissette received a B.S. in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina and is currently pursuing a Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech. Before arriving at Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), Brantley held several positions in the research, conservation, nonprofit and ecotourism fields. Having minored in Journalism and Mass Communications at UofSC, Brantley has a passion for science communication and public outreach, sharing his interest in natural resources conservation with others to help ensure a more sustainable future. This passion led him to his current role as the Community Education and Outreach Specialist at HRSD. As a member of the District’s fledgling Communications Department, Brantley promotes HRSD’s work at community events, in classrooms, on social media and through tours of the utility’s innovative SWIFT Research Center. A lifelong resident of Hampton Roads, Brantley’s work is inspired by HRSD’s Promise to treat wastewater and recover natural resources to protect public health and the environment.
