‘Unknown amounts’ of fluoride added to Richmond water supply
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- "Unknown amounts of additional fluoride" were added to Richmond's water supply last week, according to statements from Henrico and Hanover counties.
Henrico and Hanover counties were among the several localities impacted by the Richmond water crisis in January, with many of their residents having little to no water for days.
County officials issued press releases on Monday, April 28, commenting on another incident that reportedly took place at Richmond's water treatment plant on Wednesday, April 23. The incident involved "unknown amounts of additional fluoride" being added to Richmond's water supply.
Despite being connected to that water supply, Henrico and Hanover were not notified of this incident until Sunday, April 27, per the counties' press releases.
"Henrico County is discouraged by the repeated operational failures and communications breakdowns associated with Richmond’s water treatment plant," Henrico officials said.
Henrico added that it was the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) that reached out first, around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The city itself did not reach out until about 10:30 p.m., officials said.
Hanover said it was also notified at about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday by VDEM.
"The City maintains the overflow did not cause levels of fluoride in the water to exceed acceptable state and federal compliance levels," Hanover said of its communications with Richmond.
On Monday, Henrico tested its water and found its fluoride levels to be 1.19 parts per million (ppm). This is above the recommended 0.7 ppm and lower than the 4 ppm that requires notice to regulatory agencies.
Hanover found its fluoride levels to be 1.6 ppm -- also higher than the recommended amount, but lower than the amount that requires the notification of regulatory agencies.
Both counties said they will continue to monitor fluoride levels to ensure the safety and well-being of residents.
"This episode, which comes on the heels of the city’s water service disruptions of January, shows once again that the region’s localities need to play a more prominent role in the delivery of drinking water to their customers," Henrico said. "Henrico stands ready to partner with the city as well as Chesterfield and Hanover counties to ensure that the entire community has access to drinking water that’s reliable, safe and of the highest quality."
Hanover officials shared a similar sentiment.
"We are disappointed by the lack of timely communication from the City of Richmond, especially in light of the challenges faced during January’s water crisis," Hanover said. "Hanover County remains committed to working with our regional partners to strengthen oversight of the water supply and to keeping our residents fully informed."
Per Henrico, the VDH will issue a notice about the incident and any health implications it may have.
8News reached out to the city of Richmond for comment and has not heard back as of the time of reporting.
