Chesapeake's Water Treatment Plants and Sources

Learn more about the City of Chesapeake's treatment plants and water sources.  

Northwest River Water Treatment Plant

The Northwest River Water Treatment Plant, built in 1980, treats up to 10 million gallons per day (MGD) from the Northwest River. The plant also treats brackish groundwater from four wells located along South Battlefield Boulevard.

The plant’s capabilities include the conventional processes of coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration and was upgraded in 1999 with reverse osmosis (RO) membrane treatment. This supply generally serves customers south of Military Highway, but is subject to periodic adjustment depending on consumption patterns.

View a diagram of the Northwest River Plant.

Watch WCTV's video tour of the plant:

Lake Gaston Water Treatment Plant

In April 2006, the Lake Gaston Water Treatment Plant  was dedicated. Located west of the Hampton Roads Executive Airport on Virginia Route 58, it provides 8 MGD of treated water for the City using low pressure ultra-filtration technology. The plant currently treats raw water purchased from Norfolk, but will, in the future, be able to treat Chesapeake water from Lake Gaston. With this added source, it is expected that projected water demands beyond the year 2040 will be met.

View a diagram of the Lake Gaston Plant.

Western Branch Wells

The Western Branch wells are located near the Hampton Roads Executive Airport. This source consists of groundwater from Wells No. 1 and No. 3 and the Aquifer Storage and Recovery well. Since fluoride occurs naturally in the native water, the wells are used to provide natural fluoridation for treated water from the Lake Gaston Water Treatment Plant.

Contracted Sources

Customers in the Indian River and South Norfolk areas, generally north of Providence Road, receive treated water purchased under contract from the City of Norfolk.

Customers in Western Branch and Deep Creek, generally north of Military Highway, receive treated water purchased under contract from the City of Portsmouth. These sources are of excellent quality and also meet or exceed the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards. 

Additional Water

On April 18, 2019, the City completed the purchase of the private water company, Aqua Virginia, Inc. Former customers of Aqua are now supplied with Chesapeake water. See more details in this Aqua Virginia Purchase PDF.