City of Richmond accelerates repair timeline for water main break

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The City of Richmond's Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has announced that the timeline for repairing a recent water main break in the city's downtown area has been accelerated.

The city made the announcement on Saturday, May 31, stating that DPU crews will begin repairs for the water main break at 7th and Canal streets on Sunday, June 1 at 10 p.m., with the work expected to finish in the early morning hours of Monday, June 2.

The water main will be isolated during the repairs, and the flow of water going into Henrico County will be temporarily stopped, according to the city.

Officials said that the repairs have been intentionally scheduled for low-usage hours to limit the amount of water Henrico will need from water storage tanks -- which have been able to meet everyday usage demands since Friday due to Richmond's supply.

“Not only has our team worked throughout the week to lift the Boil Water Advisories as quickly as possible, but they’ve come up with a solution to both repair the water main and ensure limited impact to our neighbors in Henrico County,” said Dr. Scott Morris, Director of the Department of Public Utilities.

Henrico County sent out a separate release on Saturday, warning residents that while they won't lose water entirely, they may see lower pressure than normal. Any unusual water conditions should be reported to Henrico's Public Utilities line at 804-501-5025.

Additionally, Henrico has set up two drive-thru water distribution sites at Best Plaza at 1400 Best Plaza Drive and Harvie Elementary school at 3401 Harvie Road. Residents can pick up one case of bottled water per car and the sites will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.