‘Rebuilding this plane while flying it:’ Richmond enters formal agreement with VDH to fix its water system

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond is further dedicating to fixing what's broken at its water treatment plant after the regional water crisis exposed those weaknesses.

The city announced that it has entered into an Order of Consent with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to address the alleged violations the agency found when investigating January's water crisis, according to a June 12 press release.

Specifically, the VDH accused Richmond of violating two of Virginia's Waterworks Regulations, laid out under its Public Water Supplies Law amid the water crisis. At the time, the VDH said it did not believe Richmond was capable of reliably providing its residents with clean water.

The six-day water crisis, which lasted from Jan. 6 to Jan. 11, revealed many weaknesses within Richmond's water system, as well as the city's emergency response protocols.

The findings of various investigations have revealed that, while a power outage sparked the events of the water crisis, it was not the cause. In April, the VDH asserted that Richmond allowed "faulty components and faulty culture" to fester for decades.

"The January event served as a stark reminder of the consequences of decades of deferred
maintenance and underinvestment in our water infrastructure," said Scott Morris, director of the city's Department of Public Utilities (DPU), in a June 3 memorandum to Richmond City Council.

In the wake of the VDH's notice -- which was issued in late January -- the city responded by saying it would be making a variety of changes to address the agency's concerns. This new announcement appears to formalize those plans with the VDH through an included Corrective Action Plan.

In total, 115 items of concern have already been addressed or acknowledged, the city said.

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Per the city, 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.

"However, I must emphasize why comprehensive solutions cannot be achieved in a matter
of months," Morris said in the June 3 city council memorandum. "The engineering and procurement realities we face are sobering."

He described implementing the needed updates at the water treatment plant as "quite literally rebuilding this plane while flying it," as the city has to balance making upgrades while keeping the water system running.

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To that effect, while speaking at a June 2 city council meeting, Morris outlined a 10-year plan to "modernize utility services and ensure long-term sustainability."

The city briefly summarized the plan as follows:

• Phase 1: "Foundation Building," to be completed in 2025
  • Critical infrastructural upgrades
  • High-priority VDH compliance items, including those in the Order of Consent
  • Comprehensive system assessments
  • Robust preventative maintenance program
• Phases 2 and 3: "Core System Modernization," to be completed in 2026 and 2027
  • Replace SCADA as a phased implementation
  • Upgrade primary water treatment equipment
  • Build redundant power systems
  • Replace critical aging water distribution mains
• Phases 4 and 5: "Resilience and Optimization," to be completed in 2028 and 2029
  • Complete automation of backup systems
  • Full redundancy for critical components
  • Advance water quality monitoring
  • Major water distribution system improvements
• Phases 6 through 10: "Long-Term Sustainability," to be completed between 2030 and 2034
  • Any remaining infrastructure needs
  • Smart water technology
  • Industry-leading reliable metrics
  • Fully-modernized systems

"This timeline may seem lengthy, but it reflects the reality faced by every major city that has
undertaken similar modernization efforts," Morris said. "Our peer cities have consistently required 8-to-12 years to achieve comprehensive water system modernization, and attempting to compress this timeline has invariably led to costly failures and public safety risks."

In the press release, Mayor Danny Avula shared his optimism about the future.

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“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," he said.

Morris affirmed DPU's commitment to carrying out these changes.

"The January event was indeed a wake-up call, but it was also an opportunity," Morris said in the memorandum. "With new leadership, renewed focus and [city council's] continued support, we are not just repairing a broken system — we are building a water infrastructure that will serve Richmond reliably for the next century."

Notably, Richmond has received more than one Notice of Alleged Violation from the VDH this year. A second one was issued in early May after, on Wednesday, April 23, a pump installation failure caused additional fluoride to be added into the city's water system.

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A third water-related crisis event took place in Richmond in late May after water filters became clogged, prompting a boil water advisory.