City water pump Damaged City problems Boiling water advice

In regional cooperation, Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties have removed themselves from the city’s water supply and transferred to other supplies. Residents in these counties are not affected by the boil water advisory.

Some customers may experience a total loss of water supply, while others may experience varying degrees of loss of water pressure.

“Our top priority is the health and safety of our residents and neighbors. I am asking all Richmond residents to limit their water usage as the Department of Public Utilities team works around the clock to get our water system back online,” said Mayor Danny Avula. I also ask residents to be considerate of their neighbors and only use as much water as they need – all of it.”

This announcement comes after a winter weather storm-related power outage today affected the city’s water reservoir system, causing the system to temporarily shut down. Capacity restoration services are currently underway.

“We know the importance of water in our everyday lives,” said April Bingham, senior director of the Department of Public Utilities. “My team is working hard to bring the water system back online 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 the water is safe to drink.

Below is a checklist for safe water use during this period:

· Do not drink tap water during this boiling water instruction.

· 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 clean the ice machine and/or the ice trays. This also applies to water and ice dispensed directly from a refrigerator.

· Do not use tap water to make drinks, juice or fountain soda.

· Do not wash the dishes with tap water – use boiled water or use paper plates for the next few days.

· Do not wash your fruit 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 advice for saving water:

· Eliminate or shorten shower times.

· Avoid unnecessary toilet flushing,

· Avoid washing clothes for as long as possible.

· Postpone the dishes if possible.

· Check all faucets, shower heads and base cabinets for dripping.