Report: Richmond’s failure hindered Hanover water crisis response, city did not inform the county for hours

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- On Wednesday, Hanover leaders reviewed the findings of a third party investigation into actions taken by the county following January's water crisis that left residents without water and under a boil water advisory.

The report, conducted by Dewberry Engineers and WaterPIO, found Hanover County’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) technical response to the crisis was well-executed.

The City of Richmond provides a substantial portion of the water supply for Hanover County's suburban service area. The outage, caused by Richmond's water treatment plant failure, left areas east of Interstate 95 in the county's Mechanicsville area without water for 24 to 36 hours and under a boil water advisory for four days.

The most significant challenge highlighted in the report was the lack of timely and direct communication from the City of Richmond. The report states that Richmond's initial operational response, public communications, lack of communications staff with operational and crisis experience, and the absence of a direct communication process with Hanover County Public Utilities directly impacted Hanover’s ability to respond effectively.

Richmond’s failure to properly inform Hanover County for more than seven hours reportedly hindered the county's standing with residents in the crucial first 24 to 48 hours. The report emphasized that while Hanover County ultimately overcame these challenges, Richmond’s communication failures put them in a difficult position.

Dewberry made short and long-term recommendations to improve system resilience. Short-term recommendations include evaluating and improving connections with Henrico County for supplemental water supply during emergencies. Long-term, the report suggests a study to evaluate additional water sources and transmission improvements.

The report also applauded Hanover County’s public communications team, citing their performance as “high quality” in both substance and frequency. However, some residents expressed frustration with the county's communication methods, saying they would have preferred typed notices on all platforms in addition to Facebook Live. Despite that, the after action report said their use of social media was considered exemplary.

The report also pointed out that the county operated without activating its crisis communication plan, which was designed for fire, EMS, and police incidents. A dedicated water crisis communication plan, including templates in multiple languages, outreach strategies, and improved media relations, was recommended.

"I can assure you that in conversations that we've had with the mayor and follow up and their staff, they understand the concern that we have on behalf of our residents of that never happen again," said John Budesky, Hanover County administrator.