RICHMOND, Va. — Officials have announced that the boil-water advisory impacting Virginia’s capital will remain in effect at least until Saturday morning, marking the fourth consecutive day that residents have been without safe drinking water. This situation follows an outage linked to an issue at the city’s water treatment facility.
During a press briefing on Friday morning, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula updated the public that they had conducted an initial water test after restoring pressure in the system on Thursday. According to Avula, the advisory will only be lifted after two consecutive tests yield negative results for bacteria, with each sample taken at least 16 hours apart.
“We’re making progress with the testing to ensure our water supply is safe for consumption,” Avula stated. He indicated that results of the first test were anticipated on Friday afternoon, implying that Saturday morning might be the soonest the advisory could be rescinded. This announcement comes as nearly 230,000 residents have been without safe tap water since a malfunction occurred on Monday afternoon at the treatment facility due to a power outage caused by a snowstorm.
Additionally, nearby Hanover and Henrico counties are also under similar advisories. Hanover County has around 114,000 residents while Henrico boasts a population of approximately 335,000.
After the initial outage, recovery efforts were further hindered by a failure in a component that manages the water filters, which occurred on Tuesday. Fortunately, full pressure was restored across all serviced areas by Thursday.
In light of these challenges, public schools were closed, prompting residents to seek alternative sources of drinking water. Water delivery via tanker trucks was arranged for local hospitals, and distribution centers were set up across Richmond to assist residents. Local authorities also endeavored to ensure the availability of essentials like baby formula, which relies heavily on water. Community facilities, including various YMCA branches and a local Jewish Community Center (JCC), provided valuable amenities such as showers.
Moreover, the Virginia legislature, which convenes in Richmond, postponed its first full workday of the new session. Legislators gathered briefly on Wednesday for initial procedural activities before taking a recess until the following Monday. In a visible sign of the ongoing water emergency, portable toilets were set up around the statehouse lawn, where water pressure remained nonexistent.
