No water again? Nearly 70 water mains break as water service tries to return to Richmond area

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- If you've seen yet another interruption to your water service, you're not alone -- almost 70 water mains have broken across Richmond, Henrico and Hanover counties since Tuesday. Following six days with little to no water throughout the Richmond area, water service was restored and boil water advisories were lifted across the impacted localities. However, a combination of frigid temperatures and the stress such a crisis has on water infrastructure has resulted in 67 total water main breaks between noon on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 13 -- meaning some residents may have seen dry taps once more. Richmond saw 22 water main breaks during that period, with crews still working on two mains as of Monday afternoon, according to a city spokesperson. Those repairs were located on Grover and Oakwood avenues. ALL COVERAGE: Richmond Area Water Crisis The spokesperson said that both the low temperatures and the "fluctuation of the water pressure across the system" -- caused by the water crisis -- contributed to these breaks. Hanover only experienced one water main break, with that being on Monday, Jan. 13. It was near the eastbound bypass off-ramp of US-360, according to Matt Longshore, the director of Hanover Public Utilities. Henrico saw the most issues, with its total water main breaks coming in at 45. According to Bentley Chan, the director of Henrico Public Utilities, 35 of them have since been fixed -- this includes major breaks along Monument Avenue and Staples Mill Road. The 10 remaining breaks are all on small, neighborhood roads, according to Chan. As of about 7 p.m. Monday, crews were working in the following two areas: Wytheland Road  Warren Road, near its intersection with Lakewood Road Chan said crews hope to get a few more mains fixed by the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 14. Like the water main breaks in Richmond, both cold weather and the water crisis caused these breaks, according to Chan. When this crisis began, Henrico's water system was emptied -- and in the absence of water, air bubbles cropped up in the pipes. Chan said that water returned to the system about midday on Wednesday, Jan. 8, but it did not mix well with either the cold pipes or the air bubbles trapped inside them. MORE: Expert reacts to public health concerns exposed in federal report on Richmond’s water supply While the water definitely wasn't warm, it was still warmer than the pipes, shocking them. This, combined with the air bubbles, creates what Chan called a "water hammer" -- a significant exertion of force -- which causes damage to pipes. Chan added that the air bubbles were so prominent, in part, due to just how quickly Henrico officials had to react to the crisis in Richmond. Moving water from the west part of Henrico to its eastern portion to try and help residents in need had to be done so quickly that it contributed to air bubble creation. Trying to balance those needs while minimizing strain on the system is difficult, according to Chan, but he said crews did their best to do so. Chan said the department will continue working on the remaining broken water mains over the coming days.