en.Wedoany.com Reported - Industrie De Nora has been selected by the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) to provide its SORB FX ion exchange (IX) PFAS removal system for the SWIFT Advanced Water Treatment Facility at South Simond. This facility is central to HRSD's "Tomorrow's Sustainable Water Infrastructure" (SWIFT) project, which aims to treat municipal wastewater to drinking water standards before recharging it into the Potomac Aquifer. This initiative addresses declining groundwater levels and saltwater intrusion in eastern Virginia, two major threats directly impacting the region's long-term drinking water supply.
The project is designed by Tetra-Tech and Carollo Engineers, with construction led by water contractor Garney. De Nora has secured ten PFAS project awards in recent years, and this collaboration further expands its deployed PFAS treatment system portfolio, solidifying its position as a provider of contaminant removal solutions for municipal water systems.
De Nora's SORB FX system is designed for a treatment capacity of 34 million gallons per day (MGD), consisting of 11 ion exchange (IX) vessels, each 14 feet in diameter, operating in parallel, with one standby vessel. These vessels are designed for easy retrofitting with different media to accommodate future improvements. The system features a patent-pending inlet distributor and is equipped with a SORB OTTO underdrain system with a customized upper/lower drain configuration, enabling maximum media bed exhaustion before replacement. This design aims to extend system life, reduce media replacement frequency and long-term operating costs, with the system fully serviceable from the outside, eliminating the need for confined space entry.
The selection of the SORB FX system is based on De Nora's nearly 20-year partnership with HRSD. HRSD currently operates nine DE NORA TETRA Denite biological filters, including a unique operating mode developed by HRSD to enhance nutrient removal for the community and environment.
As U.S. utilities face increasing regulatory and public health pressures to address PFAS contamination, the South Simond facility is expected to serve as a flagship reference case. The order was awarded in December 2025, and De Nora's SORB FX system is expected to be delivered by the end of 2027.
