RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A boil water advisory has been issued for some Richmond neighborhoods following issues at the city’s water treatment plant early Tuesday morning, after the city said clogged filters caused a decrease in water production.
In a press release shared at 11:27 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27, by the City of Richmond, a boil water advisory was issued for residents of the following neighborhoods, among others:
- Byrd Park
- Brookland Park
- Carver
- Carytown
- Chamberlayne
- The Fan
- Ginter Park
- Jackson Ward
- Laburnum Park
- Museum District
- North Side
- Oregon Hill
- Randolph
- Scott’s Addition
- Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park campus
- Windsor Farms
- Parts of the city center
According to the city, residents and businesses in these areas — in orange on the above map — are served by the Ginter Park Tank.
Some residents and businesses in this area may experience a total loss of water service, while others may experience varying decreases in water pressure.
Residents impacted by the advisory were encouraged by the city to conserve water immediately and boil water before consuming it or using it in food preparation.
The city said additional residents may be impacted as water usage continues, and residents in all neighborhoods were encouraged to conserve water.
The advisory comes just hours after the city said clogged filters at the treatment plant caused a decrease in water production, and that no boil water advisory would be issued.
The city added that the plant’s system had been “restored to full production” after the initial issue, and filters reclogged after running at full production for over an hour. Decreased water pressure reportedly impacted the Ginter Park Tank.
Officials reportedly continue to monitor the timeline to restore the tank to full water pressure and will issue additional updates or advisories if needed.
The city said to take the following steps to use water safely during the advisory:
- Do not drink tap water during this boil water alert.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
To conserve water, the city said to take the following steps:
- 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, shower heads and under cabinets for drips.
City officials will reportedly remain “in close contact” with the Virginia Department of Health to “assess and remedy the situation. When water pressure returns to normal in impacted areas, the city said Department of Public Utilities personnel will begin the process of flushing the system and subsequently lifting the advisory.
Residents are asked to share this information with everyone in their household as well as with friends and family.
For more information on boil water advisories, visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website.
Impacted restaurants should visit the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts’ guidance website for next steps.
This issue follows another in April when fluoride levels spiked in Richmond’s water, which Mayor Avula learned of via a text from Henrico County’s county manager rather than his team. This also follows the Richmond area water crisis in early January.