Regional, state leaders gather to discuss solutions to ongoing water issues

HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) — Some of Virginia’s top state and local leaders recently came together to find solutions to decades of regional water issues.

The regional water roundtable was held in Hopewell, a city still recovering from an incident in July, when a million gallons of untreated sewage accidentally spilled from its wastewater treatment facility.

Communities like Richmond, Hanover, Henrico and Petersburg have all faced significant water-related challenges since January. The goal of the meeting was clear -- find solutions to water system failures that have spanned decades.

Leaders at the meeting called the discussion productive and said stronger regional cooperation is the key to progress. They all agreed -- state and federal agencies must invest heavily in Virginia’s aging water infrastructure.

Regional, state leaders discuss water issues in Hopewell (Photo: Jamal Williams, 8News)

Senator Mark Warner said these issues are often ignored until something goes wrong.

"This is always the easiest thing to punt on. Folks don't see it, you turn on the tap, water comes out. It's great to punt on until it's not great,” Warner said.

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan emphasized the importance of water infrastructure to every aspect of community life.

“Whether it is, infrastructure improvements needed for public health, public safety, economic development — water is key,” McClellan said.

Since the start of the year, multiple water incidents have hit cities across the region — from boil water advisories to widespread outages and flooding.

Officials said the root causes are aging pipes and a lack of funding to properly repair and modernize systems.

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said the city faces major investment needs:

“We have work to do to make sure that we have the right talent and expertise on board, that are practicing the right standard operating procedures and doing all that process work. But it doesn't change the fact that we have millions of dollars in investment that need to be made.”

Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham echoed the concern.

“It's going to cost us $25 million to replace that main waterline that serves the entire city,” Parham said.

One message repeated throughout the meeting — regional cooperation will be essential moving forward.

Utility leaders also called attention to the need for skilled staff to manage these complex systems.

Senator Warner said attracting quality public servants is key — and that criticism of government workers only makes the hiring crisis worse: