GLOUCESTER, Va. — The Hampton Roads Sanitation District is on a mission.

"Improve the Hampton Roads waterways and ensure that they'll be clean for generations to come," said Ryan Radspinner, a business process engineer.

A new award from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is bringing them closer to that mission.

"They are offering payments based on actual verifiable outcomes, in this case, reduced nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake Bay," Radspinner said.

Too many nutrients in the Bay lead to overgrown blooms of algae. On its face, this sounds like it might be a good thing, but Radspinner said it’s ultimately harmful to the Bay.

"When that algae dies, it takes oxygen with it. When you reduce oxygen, it has a negative effect on ecosystems."

One source of those nutrients may

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