Updates to Richmond’s water treatment plant: What’s been done and what still needs work

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) says updates have been made at the city’s water plant, but there’s still more to be done.  

This was discussed during a committee meeting on Monday, May 5, after an outage left thousands without water for days back in January.  

The updates come from recommendations made by HNTB and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) following an investigation into the plant.  

Based on the presentation given at the committee meeting, about half of the recommendations are complete.  

Completed recommendations include repairs to an altitude valve. The valve controls water flow, which is essential to the plant. Before, the valve was being supported by a piece of wood, but it has now been replaced.  

The uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, has been tested on a one-hour run time. While those tests are complete, DPU said backups or generators won’t be complete until November. These are extremely crucial since the water crisis started after a power outage and not having backups.  

Emergency staffing plans for DPU facilities are complete as well as staffing plans for storms. These will be re-evaluated in November.  

As for repairs that are not complete, critical equipment that needs to be replaced to ensure the water plant actually works is still in the works.  

The VDH said there are various pumps, valves, piping and other equipment that have “severe corrosion” that could and have caused major problems.  

DPU said replacement costs have been requested from manufacturers to determine the best option moving forward to replace these things.  

There is a finished draft of a crisis communication plan, and we can expect a final version later this month.  

The weather also plays a role in how the plant operates, so a seasonal risk assessment is expected in June.