The Hampton Roads Sanitation District, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, was established by public referendum in 1940. It works to eliminate sewage pollution in the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. The district serves a population of more than 1.5 million individuals in over 15 counties and cities. It operates nearly 100 pump stations and approximately 500 miles of collection pipes. Through its various treatment plants, it treats more than 230 million gallons of sewage water daily. The Hampton Roads Sanitation District operates through engineering, finance, information services, operations and water quality departments. It additionally produces Nutri-Green compost that is formed from wastewater biosolids by the natural process of biological decomposition, composting.