Richmond report on January crisis details communication with residents, supplying water

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond’s water crisis revealed numerous strengths and weaknesses, according to an incident response report.

The 86-page document detailed how the city communicated with residents during the water outage. The report applauded leaders’ routine updates through daily press briefings and online posts. Communication staffers also double-checked press releases before sending them.

But the city had its share of problems.

“The lack of coordination between different communications channels led to discrepancies in messaging, creating confusion among the public and response partners,” the report reads. This includes sometimes outdated RVA 311 updates and relying on “unofficial sources for information.”

In terms of water distribution, the city made sure bottles were handed out. But the report said some sites quote “lacked clear leadership.” It also noted that some water trucks showed up without staff or equipment to unload and water was packed improperly.

The report also said city leaders had no financial strategy for emergencies. It recommended the city make a plan for emergency spending and learn how to better track where money goes during a crisis.