RICHMOND, Va. — An electrical failure has delayed the restoration of water service even further, according to the latest update from the city of Richmond.
Tuesday afternoon, there was a failure of electrical panel equipment in the water treatment plant, which forced the system to reset. In an update Tuesday evening, the city said it was initially believed the failure would not impact the restoration process, but further analysis found that it would.
Though production has been restored, city officials are still not able to provide a timeline on when residents will have water or water pressure restored.
Water pressure will still take at least several hours to build up before it can be distributed through the network. The current boil water advisory remains in effect and is expected to last approximately 48 hours due to required testing.
Residents who do have water service should continue to boil their water and conserve as pressure builds back up, according to the Department of Public Utilities.
WATCH: Mayor Avula addresses concerns, answers questions at Tuesday morning press conference
Avula said he and DPU staff have been working through the night to restore operations at the city's water plant.
As of Tuesday morning, two pumps were actively running and filling one of the tanks, which Avula called the "most positive step we've had in the last 12 hours."
Richmond water distribution
The City of Richmond and American Red Cross began handing out bottled water on Monday to "vulnerable populations" in the city.
"Water was distributed in high priority areas including homeless services providers, public housing, and residences that house older adults. Targeted outreach and distribution to areas of high need and vulnerable populations will continue," a city spokesperson advised Tuesday morning.
Residents who are not able to leave their homes should call 804-646-7000 to get on the list for water delivery.
What happened?
The city's water troubles stem from a "winter weather-related power outage" that occurred at the water plant along the James River on Monday morning. A spokesperson for the city detailed that the power disruption caused issues with the plant’s uninterrupted power supply, leading to flooding in the filter gallery—crucial for the water treatment process.
“Water production halted because the gallery flooded,” the spokesperson said.
Although water production was affected, officials noted that safe water continued to flow to Richmond homes and businesses until a Boil Water Advisory was issued around 4:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
Watch: Richmond Water Crisis: Mayor's opening statement on Tuesday morning
Communication delay
Some Richmond residents reported experiencing low or no water pressure before city leaders officially communicated the problems at the plant.
The Boil Water Advisory now applies to all residents served by the city’s water system.
Mayor Avula addressed the delay in public communication.
"So much of what we communicate to the public, not only is like, do we have all the details and do we want to make sure that we're giving clear direction the public, but we also have regional partners that we need to coordinate with," Avula said. "And so we wanted to make sure that we had brought in the region, tried to make sure that they their residents weren't going to be affected by this, because I wanted to be able to give really clear and direct information so that people who are served by the City of Richmond know that they're impacted."
When will the water be safe to drink?
Richmond is working with the Virginia Department of Health and the boil water advisory will remain in effect until all required testing is complete and approved.
"The water will be drinkable once we've gone through our testing protocol with VDH," Avula said Monday. "Once we resume water pressure, we will start testing at different points, and then we do a follow up test 16 hours later. We do this in conjunction with VDH and the state lab, just to make sure that there aren't bacteria in the water. And so that's when we'll ultimately lift the boiled water advisory."
"The boil water advisory was issued with a focus on safeguarding public health. Boil water advisories, while not common, are a standard response whenever water pressure is impacted at treatment facilities. The last time the City issued a boil water advisory was in 2003 during Hurricane Isabel," the city advised.
Water safety and conservation tips for boil water advisory
Below is a checklist for safe water use during this time:
- Do not drink tap water during this boil water advisory.
- 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. This also applies to water and ice 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.
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.
Are you without water? Email the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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