Richmond experienced it’s fourth water issue in five months and residents of the city and surrounding counties are angry and questioning the reliability of future water service.
On Tuesday, 5/27, city officials reported that sediment from the James River clogged filters at the water treatment plant leading to a drop in water pressure for some residents. The city issued a boil water advisory for parts of Richmond as a result. After two rounds of clean water testing, the advisory was lifted on Thursday 5/29. Before residents could breath a sigh of relief, a water main break occurred at 7th and Canal Street in Richmond near the connection to Henrico County causing ongoing water pressure issues for Henrico. As of Friday, 5/30 Henrico officials maintain that the water service is “stable and safe to drink”, but acknowledge there are pressure issues and request that residents make an effort to conserve water until repairs can be completed. See the Call to Action below if you need to report a water pressure issue.
After the filter failure, Henrico, Hanover, and Chesterfield counties — which are all connected to Richmond’s water supply — were able to disconnect their systems from the city’s and avoided having to boil water. But that doesn’t mean no one was impacted. Hanover County reported on Wednesday that some residents may notice reduced water pressure as the county works to accommodate the loss of water coming from Richmond. Richmond International Airport (RIC) reported that it had to close some restrooms due to low water pressure, and Henrico officials announced that all county residents could experience variable water pressure.
Officials used a press briefing to break down what’s contributed to the crises, including:
- inadequate water storage capacity.
- maintenance delays
- staff decisions
- limited real-time oversight
- aging infrastructure (the water plant is over 100 years old)
DPU director Scott Morris said that while DPU is focused on preventative improvements to minimize incidents, including staff oversight, onsite daily inspections and monthly reporting, “I will never guarantee that nothing will ever happen again,” Morris said. “That’s wishful thinking.”
In early January, a power outage at the water treatment plant caused city residents to lose drinkable water for nearly a week. Then, in April, the city revealed higher-than-normal levels of fluoride entered the water.
Take Action
- If you experience a water pressure issue, you should immediately contact the county’s DPU at 804-501-5025. You can also self report a location on FaceBook
