RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia State Capitol and General Assembly buildings will be shuttered on Wednesday, which means the inaugural working day of the legislative session will be postponed nearly two days after a winter storm disrupted Richmond’s water supply.
Lawmakers are set to convene briefly for a few procedural tasks before entering a recess that will last until Monday.
“In light of the ongoing water outages in Richmond, the House of Delegates will gather tomorrow at noon to officially open the 2025 legislative session,” stated House Speaker Don Scott. “After this initial gathering, the House will temporarily recess and reconvene on Monday, January 13th, to continue our legislative duties for the people of Virginia.”
This decision follows the closure of legislative buildings on Tuesday due to a critical drop in water pressure. G. Paul Nardo, the clerk for the House of Delegates, had previously informed lawmakers and staff via email on Tuesday morning to vacate the premises, explaining that the water issue rendered restrooms unusable and compromised the effectiveness of the emergency sprinkler systems.
By Tuesday evening, Nardo announced that the buildings would remain closed through Sunday. When they reopen on January 13, it will coincide with Governor Glenn Youngkin’s upcoming State of the Commonwealth address. Originally intended for Wednesday, the speech has been rescheduled due to the closures.
“We are taking all necessary precautions and allowing ample time to resolve the water issues affecting residents, hospitals, businesses, and our operations here at the government seat,” Nardo communicated to lawmakers and staff.
The winter storm on Monday led to a power outage that ultimately caused a malfunction in the city’s water reservoir system. In response, Richmond issued a boil-water advisory affecting over 200,000 residents and pledged to restore the water service without delay.
Mayor Danny Avula, who assumed his role after his November election, indicated that the boil-water advisory would be lifted once the water pressure is stabilized and officials have conducted two successful tests on water samples.
As of Tuesday afternoon, city officials announced that water production was starting to resume, marking a significant step toward reinstating services for all customers. However, by Tuesday evening, they noted that the restoration of water pressure encountered setbacks due to a failure in an electric panel at a water facility.
