Richmond receives Notice of Alleged Violation from Virginia Department of Health for fluoride spike

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Department of Health has alleged that Richmond appears to have operated its Waterworks in violation of the Public Water Supplies law when the spike in fluoride levels occurred in April, which was caused by pump issues.

According to an announcement by a city spokesperson, the city received a Notice of Alleged Violation from VDH on Monday, April 11, for an incident in April when a pump installation at the city's water treatment plant caused fluoride levels to increase in city water temporarily.

"The drinking water produced by the Water Treatment Plant remained safe for consumption during this period," the city said.

In the notice, VDH said it remains concerned that the city's DPU has not adequately addressed matters since the January water crisis, specifically regarding internal and external communications.

"[The Office of Drinking Water] remains concerned that lessons that the City’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) should have learned since the January water crisis have not been adequately addressed," the notice said.

VDH said that in the late evening on Sunday, April 27, it learned about a potential large release of fluoride from the plant into the drinking supply, which likely occurred on April 23, aligning with the city's timeline.

On Monday, April 28, VDH visited the site at the Waterworks to learn more, according to the notice. The department's investigation revealed that the fluoride feed at the water treatment plant had been offline since Jan. 6 due to damage to the primary and two fluoride feed pumps during a power outage and subsequent flooding, which caused the water crisis.

The notice said that at 9:45 a.m. on April 23, water used to carry fluoride from the chemical feed pumps at the plant to the finished water basins began filling the fluoride storage tank until around 3 p.m., resulting in around 3,300 gallons of water flowing into the tank.

The city said that immediately after city and Department of Public Utilities (DPU) leaders learned of the increased levels, actions were reportedly taken to "ensure communication and coordination with VDH and regional partners."

According to the city, after DPU leadership learned of the incident, they reportedly ensured procedures for maintenance, operations and communication were reinforced, including those outlined as recommendations in the Notice of Alleged Violation to address all compliance concerns, which the city said VDH acknowledges.

"The City appreciates the partnership and remains committed to working with VDH and regional partners to ensure it meets its mission to deliver safe and clean drinking water to the region," a city spokesperson said.

This follows the city's previous Notice of Alleged Violation issued by the Virginia Department of Health in January, following the Richmond area water crisis.

The Notice of Alleged Violation is available below.