Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Five months after the city’s water crisis, Richmond has entered into an Order of Consent with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to address the weaknesses the agency found in its investigation of the water system.
The Order of Consent summarizes the alleged violations and outlines corrective actions being taken by the city in accordance with VDH orders.
Specifically, the VDH accused Richmond of violating two of Virginia’s Waterworks Regulations during the water crisis. In January, the VDH said it did not believe the city was capable of reliably providing residents with clean water.
Richmond’s water crisis, which lasted from Jan. 6 to Jan. 11, revealed weaknesses within the system as well as the city’s emergency response protocols. City officials have said great progress has been made in improving the systemic shortcomings highlighted by the VDH.
Investigations have revealed that, although a power outage set off the events of the water crisis, it was not the sole cause. In April, the VDH asserted that Richmond allowed faulty components to go unfixed for decades.
“Since January, my team and I have worked to improve the resilience of the City’s Water Treatment Plant and the region’s water system,” said Richmond Mayor Danny Avula.
“We’re taking the recommendations made by our independent investigators at HNTB and those from the Virginia Department of Health seriously, and we’ve already checked a large number of items off the list,” Avula said. “There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but I know that, together with our partners, we can build a more resilient water system that our region deserves.”
The latest order includes a Corrective Action Plan. Officials say a total of 115 items of concern have already been addressed or acknowledged.
Upgrades and fixes that have already been carried out include:
• Critical operating systems (including SCADA computer system) have been upgraded with additional runtime capacity
• Practical tests have been performed on power systems to ensure functionality
• Finished water pumps have been replaced and/or repaired
• Leaks have been repaired and additional secondary containment has been established
• Filter effluent valves have been replaced and/or repaired, and their control logic has been updated
• Routine testing protocols have been established
• Storm response protocols have been established
• Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) for plant operations have been created and submitted for VDH review
• Additionally, the city said a redesign of overflow pumping has begun and backup generator integration is in progress.