Bringing water advisory tips to a boil
Drinking tap water may not be safe in an emergency.
The problem has been resolved
The Boiling Water Advisory, which affects the large strip of Virginia’s capital, was issued on May 27, leaving many residents and local businesses with safe and easy to drink tap water.
The consultation was issued after Richmond’s water treatment plant experienced operational issues early on May 27, according to a news release. City officials in Richmond, Virginia said the system was turbid and the poor water quality had blocked some of the plant’s filters.
Officials in Richmond initially said the issue of temporarily reducing production of completed water has been resolved and no boiling water recommendations were required. But by 11am, the city and the Virginia Department of Health had issued recommendations for several areas north of the James River. City officials noted that after running at full production for more than an hour, the filters were re-closed.
“The event appears to have seen a decline in the quality of the raw water and it appears that these filters have been backwashed or drained,” Scott Morris, director of the Richmond Utilities Department, said at an afternoon press conference. “The water quality that was in the (water) basin was very low and simultaneously affected most of the filter.”
By 7pm EST, city officials had expanded their boiling water advisory to several other regions. The affected areas include northern neighborhoods, parts of downtown and parts of South Richmond, according to a Department of Utilities map.
Officials in Richmond warned that while some customers in these regions could experience losses in total water services, others could experience losses in water pressure. It was unclear how long the advisory would last.
City officials added that two tests will need to be conducted approximately 16 hours apart to lift the advisory, and that the water system will need to be fully pressurized.
“It’s the same thing over and over.”
Foodservice businesses are allowed to remain open under state health department guidelines, but some businesses chose to change their menu or close them on May 27th.
Axios and WWBT reported that the latest Boil Water Advisory forced Richmond restaurants, coffee shops and bars to operate in numerous Richmond restaurants and bars. According to Axios, many have expressed dissatisfaction with the consultation, noting that small businesses are still not recovering financially from the city’s water crisis in January.
“It’s the same thing over and over,” server bartender Kayla Marbley told WWBT. I am a worker in the service industry. If we’re closed for 5 days, it’s frustrating because I’m not making any money either, you know, it’s really. ”
Latest operational issues with Richmond water treatment facilities
On January 6th, Richmond’s water treatment plant experienced a power outage, resulting in the loss of water services and boiling water recommendations for hundreds of thousands of residents throughout the region. The Boil Water Advisory was lifted five days later at 11:30am on January 11th.
At the time, city officials said winter weather-related blackouts had affected operations at water plants along the James River. The power destruction caused problems with the water plants’ uninterrupted power source, the city said. This allowed the water to flood the filter gallery. This is the middle part of the treatment process, including “critical water infrastructure such as pumps, filters, and electrical systems.”
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released a final report from the state health department on the water crisis in April, releasing his second notice of violation to the city.
The report found that “critical operational, procedural and infrastructure obstacles” contributed to the crisis. The report also said the crisis is avoidable and denounced the city’s poor system maintenance and ineffective emergency plans.
“There would never have been a disruption to safe and reliable water supply in Richmond last January,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Moving forward should never happen again. We have instructed the Department of Health to take all the corrective actions necessary for Richmond to achieve that objective. People in Richmond and surrounding counties endure through this preventable crisis.
What to do during boiling water recommendations
At a press conference on May 27, Richmond Mayor Danny Avra advised residents to boil tap water before using it.
According to a news release, all residents are required to conserve water as a precaution and “ensure that all needs are met during this period.” Temporary maintenance measures include reducing shower times, avoiding unnecessary toilet flushing, avoiding clothes washing as long as possible, and postponing washing dishes when possible.
The city also advised residents:
- Do not drink from fountains on parks, public or private property.
- Do not use ice made from water on May 27th. Throw away the ice and disinfect the ice machine and ice tray.
- Do not use tap water to make drinks or wash fruits or vegetables. Use boiled or bottled water.
- Do not wash dishes using tap water – use boiling water or paper plates.
- Do not brush your teeth with tap water – use boiling or bottled water.
- Do not cook in tap water unless your food boils vigorously for 3 minutes.
Contributions: Amaris Encinas, USA Today
