St. Mary’s Hospital experiences water service issues in Henrico County

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital experienced a temporary suspension of water service on Monday morning due to what has been described as an "airlock." According to a hospital spokesperson, water service was temporarily suspended at St. Mary's Hospital on Monday, Jan. 13, but has since been restored. Bentley Chan, Director of Public Utilities for Henrico County, said that they were alerted to the water issues at around 10:50 a.m., and were able to restore water pressure by around 11:40 a.m. Staff members with the department reportedly tested the water pressure at the hospital, which was revealed to be in the low teens (PSI) -- the expected measurement usually sits in the 40s or 50s, according to Chan. Chan also said that other residents in the Libbie Mill area were experiencing similar water pressure issues. He attributed the cause to a pocket of air in the system referred to as an "airlock," as well as a housing development project in the area that had been flushing fire hydrants. Because of how quickly the water pressure was restored, Chan said he believed the hospital didn't experience any major disruptions.