SUFFOLK, VA — Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, EPA Region 3 Administrator Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey, Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) leadership, and regional partners for a tour of HRSD’s Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Research Center. The visit highlighted the groundbreaking work taking place in Virginia’s Second District to advance water reuse technology, strengthen water security, and protect the long-term sustainability of the region’s groundwater resources.

During the visit, Administrator Zeldin and Congresswoman Kiggans received an executive briefing from HRSD General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Jay Bernas on the SWIFT program before touring the research facility to observe its advanced water purification process and ongoing construction supporting the program’s expansion.

Congresswoman Kiggans said, “I’m proud to see that Hampton Roads is leading the way in developing innovative ways to protect our nation’s most important resource, clean and reliable water. The work taking place at HRSD’s SWIFT Research Center is invaluable to our region, and is strengthening long-term water security and ensuring our communities have the resilient infrastructure they need for generations to come.”

“I’d like to thank Administrator Zeldin for visiting Virginia’s Second District to experience this project firsthand. I look forward to continuing our work together to support investments that drive innovation, preserve our natural resources, and improve quality of life across Coastal Virginia.”

“It was great to join Congresswoman Kiggans this weekend in Suffolk, Virginia, to visit HRSD’s SWIFT Research Center,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “Congresswoman Kiggans is a passionate fighter for a clean and healthy environment. Our visit was another example of EPA’s commitment to cooperative federalism, partnering with state and local leaders to deploy advanced technologies and further our research efforts to provide clean air, land, and water to communities across Virginia and the country.”

SWIFT is HRSD’s long-term water sustainability initiative that uses advanced treatment technology to further purify already-treated wastewater to drinking water quality before replenishing the Potomac Aquifer, Eastern Virginia’s primary groundwater source. The program is designed to strengthen the region’s water supply while reducing nutrient discharges to local waterways, protecting against saltwater intrusion, addressing land subsidence associated with sea level rise, and supporting the long-term environmental and economic health of the Commonwealth.

“Congresswoman Kiggans’ support in bringing Administrator Zeldin to Hampton Roads allowed us to show the EPA exactly what SWIFT and HRSD’s innovation programs can do — not as a pilot project, but as a scalable model other regions can adopt. That’s the kind of federal-local collaboration that gets real infrastructure built,” said GM/CEO of HRSD Jay Bernas.

As the representative for Virginia’s Second District, Rep. Kiggans remains committed to supporting innovative infrastructure, strengthening environmental resilience, and advancing federal partnerships that improve the quality of life for communities across Hampton Roads and Virginia’s Eastern Shore.