James River Crossing (JRX)

The Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) launched the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) to advance long-term water sustainability in Eastern Virginia. The program aims to recharge the Potomac Aquifer and improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. A key component of this effort is the Boat Harbor Treatment Plant Transmission Force Main Section 1 – Subaqueous Portion, known as the James River Crossing (JRX) project. This pipeline conveys treated water from the new Boat House Pump Station to the Nansemond Treatment Plant for further purification, enabling HRSD to recharge the aquifer with up to 120 million gallons per day (MGD) of SWIFT Water.

Using horizontal directional drilling (HDD), the JRX team installed more than 5,700 feet of 42-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) force main beneath the Newport News Shipping Channel—one of the busiest ports in the U.S.—reaching depths more than 100 feet below the riverbed. In just 24 hours, the crew completed the world’s longest-known pullback of 42-inch HDPE pipe.

Garney, engineer Dewberry, and other project partners collaborated with HRSD early to refine the scope, improve constructability, and streamline permitting. The team extended the HDD alignment to the shoreline—adding 2,300 feet to the drill length—to eliminate the need for marine trenching, resulting in more than $10 million in cost savings.

Work continues on the marine and landside portions of the pipeline. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.