Residents, officials frustrated by months of Richmond water issues

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Despite repairs made to a recent water main break, Richmond residents and councilmembers alike expressed their frustration at a Monday night meeting over the multiple water issues the city has faced over the past six months.

"I am here because I, like many others, [am] tired," said a concerned Richmond resident at a city council meeting on Monday, June 2. "Tired of having to boil water twice in five months. Tired of living in a city where the most basic public health standard -- clean, safe drinking water -- is not a guarantee. This is not just an inconvenience, this is a failure of leadership."

This water main break, situated between 7th and Canal streets in Richmond, comes after a series of failures at Richmond's water treatment plant that span over the past six months.

The timeline starts with a water crisis in January, which left residents in Richmond and surrounding counties without reliable water for several days.

This crisis was followed by increased amounts of fluoride being put in the water in April as a result of a pump installation error.

Additionally, just last month, filters clogged with sediment from the James River caused a boil water advisory in Richmond -- and this most recent water main break caused Henrico residents to see a decrease in water pressure.

"Clean drinking water is not a luxury, it's a fundamental expectation of a functioning city," said the concerned Richmond resident.

The concerns heard by city council came after members themselves directed questions at Scott Morris, director of the city's Department of Utilities (DPU), in an informal meeting hours earlier.

"This is the first six months of 21 years of experience that I've seen this level of interruption in service," said councilmember Ellen Robertson.

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Stephanie Lynch, another city councilmember, questioned the frequency of the recent issues, asking how it compares to the city's history.

"Is it a normal occurrence?" Lynch asked. "Is what happened -- do we think that's happened in the past? If so, was our drinking water safe?"

While acknowledging the frustration, Morris outlined how the department is moving forward.

These plans include an audit to look into the work order system -- focusing on preventative maintenance -- and improving standard operating procedures and training.

Additionally, Morris laid out a 10-year plan to address the water problems, with phase one addressing critical infrastructure upgrades, high-priority Virginia Department of Health (VDH) items and comprehensive systems assessments.

"This is going to be an uphill battle. -- there's a lot of things that we need to do and correct," Morris said. "It's going to be a bumpy road, but I'm here for the long haul. I'm here to make sure we get these improvements we need."

Morris also said it is going to be difficult to address years of neglect and inadequate policies -- he's asking for time, as well as the council's support.