What is Richmond doing to prepare the city’s water treatment plant for incoming winter weather?

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond officials are taking steps to prepare the community -- and the city's water treatment plant -- for the approaching winter storm.

In addition to the city's Department of Public Works preparing the roads and sidewalks with salt, the Department of Public Utilities is making preparations at the water treatment plant.

The Resilience of the Water Treatment Plant

According to the City of Richmond, there have been several improvements made to the plant since January -- including more resiliency in the primary and secondary power sources. The department said that the plant has pumps and filters to meet the system's demands, as well as other equipment on standby, like generators that have been fueled and tested.

Furthermore, key positions at the plant including operations, maintenance, electrical and engineering will be scheduled during the winter storm. The plant plans to conduct inspection checks for the equipment, fuel, chemicals and systems.

The department will stay in contact with Dominion Energy to restore power in the case of an outage. Other preparation activities include monitoring systems, prioritizing the repairing of water and gas leaks, utility emergencies, prepping stormwater maintenance staff to help with removing snow and readying vehicles and equipment.

Inclement Weather Shelter & Overflow Shelter

The City of Richmond opened an overflow shelter, in support of those who are unhoused, on Monday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. -- it will remain open until noon on Wednesday, Feb. 12. In addition, the shelter will accommodate guests every night from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 through Saturday, Feb. 15.

The shelter is located at 900 E. Marshall St. and has space for men, women and families.

The Inclement Weather Shelter, operated by The Salvation Army, will continue operating with beds for single women and men -- located at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue.

Both shelter locations will provide meals, a cot to sleep in and warmth for those seeking refuge from severe winter weather.

Richmond Ready Alerts

To stay updated with the latest weather updates, the City recommends signing up for the Richmond Ready Alerts system.

“In emergencies, having timely information can make all the difference, and Richmond Ready Alerts guarantees that users get real-time updates when they matter most,” said Stephen Willoughby, Director of Emergency Communications, in a statement last week. “We strongly encourage anyone who lives, works, or frequently visits Richmond to sign up for alerts to stay connected during critical times.”