Tuesday Morning Update:
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said Tuesday morning that water restoration is continuing. Two pumps have come back online. They are refilling tanks and hope that pressure could be restored to the system by Tuesday afternoon.
The boil water advisory remains in effect and Richmond residents are still asked to conserve water. Two water samples that meet health standards are required before the advisory can be lifted. That means another 48 hours under the advisory or a little less, Avula said.
The city's Human Services office, sheriff's office and the American Red Cross to provide bottled water to vulnerable populations.
Original Story:
The entire city of Richmond is being told to boil drinking water and to not use tap water to wash dishes or brush teeth.
The advisory from the city and the Virginia Department of Health was issued late Monday afternoon.
A storm-related power outage caused a malfunction at the water treatment plant earlier in the day. The city says capacity restoration is underway. Once that’s done the entire system will have to be flushed.
Customers in surrounding counties are not impacted.
Here is the complete announcement:
Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, has issued a Boil Water Advisory immediately and until further notice for residents served by the City of Richmond’s water system. This includes all residents in the city of Richmond. It is urgent that impacted residents take conservation steps immediately and boil water before consuming it.
In regional cooperation, the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover have removed themselves from the City’s water supply and transferred to other supplies. Residents in those counties are not impacted by the boil water advisory.
Some customers may experience a total loss of water service, while others may experience varying degrees of loss in water pressure.
"Our top priority is the health and safety of our residents and neighbors. I am asking all Richmonders to limit their water usage as the team at the Department of Public Utilities works around the clock to get our water system back online,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “I’m also asking residents to consider their neighbors and only use as much water as they need – we’re all in this together, and our team is vigorously working to restore full function to our water system in the near term.”
This advisory comes after a winter weather storm-related loss of power today impacted the City’s water reservoir system, causing the system to temporarily malfunction. Capacity restoration services are currently underway.
“We know the importance water plays in our everyday lives,” says April Bingham, Senior Director for the Department of Public Utilities. “My team is diligently working to bring the water system back online along with the support of our partners.”
City officials remain in close contact with the Virginia Health Department to assess and resolve the situation. Once the water system is back online, Department of Public Utilities personnel will begin the process of flushing the system and ensuring that the water is safe to drink.
The City will communicate new information as it becomes available through rva.gov and its social media pages.
Below is a checklist for safe water use during this time:
- Do not drink tap water during this boil water alert.
- Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.
- Do not use ice made from water today.
- Discard the ice and sanitize the ice machine and/or ice trays. Likewise, do not use water or dispensed directly from a refrigerator.
- Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
- Do not wash your dishes using tap water – use boiled water or use paper plates for the next few days.
- Do not wash your fruits and vegetables with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
- Do not brush your teeth with tap water -- use boiled or bottled water.
- Do not cook with tap water, unless your food will be boiled vigorously for three minutes.T
Temporary water conservation tips:
- Eliminate or shorten shower times.
- Avoid unnecessary toilet flushes,
- Avoid washing clothes for as long as possible.
- Postpone washing dishes if possible.
- Check all faucets, showerheads and under cabinets for drips.
Please share this information with everyone in your household, local friends and family, and others who may have not received this advisory directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).
For more information on the boil water advisory, visit the Virginia Department of Health Boil Water FAQs: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/drinking-water/boil-water-faqs/
