Richmond may have broken state law related to public water, according to a notice from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water.
A state agency alleges that Richmond’s recent water crisis could have been prevented with better planning and is demanding answers from city officials as part of an investigation.
The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water issued on Thursday what’s called an initial notice of alleged violation to Richmond related to the city’s recent water crisis. The city has 30 days to respond to the notice, which says Richmond may have broken state laws related to public water. You can read the full notice here.
“The water crisis should never have happened and was completely avoidable,” according to the notice. “The City of Richmond could have prevented the crisis with better preparation.”
Richmond’s water crisis began on Jan. 6, when a winter storm caused a loss of water pressure at the city’s waterworks, which in addition to providing water to the city, serves Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, and Henrico counties.
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The bad weather caused an electrical failure that triggered flooding that damaged the waterworks’ ability to function. Subsequently, people and businesses across the region lost water pressure and water service for days. By Jan. 10, the system had regained its water pressure and localities lifted their boil advisories on Jan. 11.
The state’s Office of Drinking Water is doing an investigation into the water crisis at the direction of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The investigation could lead to the discovery of other violations of state law.
Richmond has 30 days to respond to the notice of alleged violation. The city announced on Wednesday it had contracted with the infrastructure development firm HNTB Corporation to conduct an “independent after-action report” on the water crisis.
Richmond officials did not immediately respond to The Dogwood’s request for comment.
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