Richmond reports progress on water treatment plant after January crisis

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The City of Richmond has released updates on progress made within its water treatment plant (WTP) following recommendations provided by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and an independent firm (HNTB) after January's water crisis.

Different recommendations were made for organizational, operational and sanitation-based projects to be completed throughout the WTP after a malfunction on Jan. 6 left residents in Richmond and surrounding counties without water for several days.

Per the final After-Action Report released by the city, HNTB's investigation revealed that a severe lack of storm preparation and staff miscommunication both played large parts in the WTP's equipment failure.

The VDH released a separate report that listed recommendations from a sanitation standpoint, even going so far as to say that the crisis was "completely avoidable" and could be considered decades in the making.

As part of the updates, the city indicated the status of the recommendations, noting whether they were complete, complete with reassessment dates, had an expected completion date or are currently ongoing.

Here's the status of the plant's major HNTB recommendations, as provided by the city:

• Complete
  • Operating the WTP in "summer mode"
  • Review and reevaluate organizational structure
• Complete with reassessment date
  • Review staffing plans for plants for storm events -- Nov. 2025
• Expected completion date
  • Develop written standard operating procedures (SOPs) -- June 2025
  • Implement recurring formal training for WTP management staff -- June 2025
  • Develop crisis communication plan -- draft complete, final May 2025
• Ongoing
  • Raise as many critical electrical systems above the plant basement as practical

Additionally, there were status updates provided for the VDH recommendations. This included a May 8 repair date for several active leaks in filter pipes throughout the WTP, as well as requests for replacement costs for pumps, valves and other equipment that appeared to have "severe corrosion."

The updates also revealed that there were sanitary sewage storage tanks that reportedly had no secondary containment -- meaning that, according to the VDH, raw sewage could have entered the water supply and gone out to residents had the storage tank failed.

While the secondary containment work has been completed, an additional coating has yet to be installed.

A meeting has been scheduled by the city at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 5, with the Organizational and Development Standing Committee. According to the agenda, the meeting will discuss updates to the WTP as well as recent tax rebate issues.