Across Richmond, the collective sentiment Tuesday afternoon seemed to be the same: “Here we go again.”

What early Tuesday morning had started as an ostensibly minor issue with the city’s water treatment plant rapidly devolved into Richmond’s second full-blown water crisis in fewer than five months.

At about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, city officials told the Times-Dispatch that an increase in sediment in untreated water from the James River had clogged the plant’s filters, impacting water production. Plant staffers had to shut down the facility and clean the filters.

That compromised the system’s water pressure, causing it to fall in neighborhoods across the northern and western parts of Richmond. But early Tuesday, officials said there was no need to issue a boil advisory because the pressure had not fallen enough to allow for bacterial contamination of the water supply.

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Three hours later, after the filters clogged a second time, they reversed course, warning tens of thousands of city residents in some of the most populated neighborhoods against use of the water. They asked all residents to work to conserve so that water pressure could be restored more quickly.

The initial boil water advisory issued Tuesday by the city of Richmond was in effect for neighborhoods served by this water tank in Ginter Park. The city later expanded the advisory to also include a section of South Side.

It’s the second advisory this year.

Initially the advisory applied to all or parts of neighborhoods served by the water tank in Ginter Park, including Byrd Park, Brookland Park, Carver, Carytown, Chamberlayne, the Fan, Ginter Park, Jackson Ward, Laburnum Park, the Museum District, the North Side, Oregon Hill, Randolph, Scott’s Addition, VCU’s Monroe Park campus, and parts of the city center.

On Tuesday evening, the city expanded the advisory to include parts of South Side.

It now also applies to all or part of the Commerce Road and Richmond Highway corridors, including communities of Ancarrow’s Landing, Bellemeade, Blackwell, Commerce Road Industrial Area, Hillside Court, Davee Gardens, Manchester, Oak Grove and Windsor (not Windsor Farms). The city noted that the Windsor Farms neighborhood had been incorrectly included in an earlier announcement.

The Tuesday evening advisory added that “some customers in these areas may experience a total loss of water service.”

The areas affected by the boil advisory are seen above.

On Tuesday evening, Richmond expanded to boil water advisory to this section of South Side.

Quick restoration of water pressure is critical. For the advisory to be lifted, the Virginia Department of Health must conduct two tests on the water supply separated by 16 hours, per state law. Those tests cannot begin until water production is completely restored — which has not yet happened. It will push the return of drinkable water into Wednesday, at the earliest.

If that sounds familiar it’s because it’s the same process the city navigated in January to end its six-day water crisis.

Officials on Tuesday afternoon said any timeline for that restoration would be “speculative,” adding that it’s possible the advisory expands to include other Richmond neighborhoods.

Residents should avoid drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and using ice made from Tuesday’s tap water. They are also encouraged to shorten shower times and eliminate any unnecessary toilet use.

Youngkin says state investigating; county water safe to drink

Gov. Glenn Youngkin posted a statement to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon about Richmond’s latest water issue.

“The State Office of Drinking Water is actively investigating the current water quality issue with the City of Richmond. I know this is really challenging for everyone following this winter’s problem,” the governor’s post said.

“We’re told by Richmond officials that they are working diligently to resolve these issues, which have resulted in a boil water advisory affecting several neighborhoods within Richmond. Our teams are providing technical support, and ensuring that precautions are in place to protect public health.”

Meanwhile, the surrounding counties, which purchase water from the city, have not issued boil advisories. A Chesterfield spokesperson said the county’s “water distribution system has continued to operate as designed.”

Around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, Richmond DPU called Chesterfield utilities to inform them that Richmond personnel were having treatment challenges at the water treatment plant. Richmond requested that Chesterfield reduce or stop taking water from the city.

Chesterfield utilities operations staff stopped taking water from the three points of entry from Richmond by 2 a.m. and transitioned customers to other water sources.

Henrico County’s Department of Public Utilities sent out a news release Tuesday afternoon saying that the county has also temporarily disconnected from Richmond’s water system.

“Henrico’s water remains safe for consumption and use,” the release said. “As of 7:30 a.m., the county’s Department of Public Utilities had closed valves at connections to the city’s system, which serves portions of central and eastern Henrico. Henrico’s water tanks, which had been kept at capacity, are supplying customers who typically are served by the city. Water pressure remains normal countywide.”

Hanover County also put out a statement saying their drinking water remains safe and does not require boiling.

“Hanover County leaders have been in regular contact with Richmond Mayor Danny Avula’s office, which is providing hourly updates,” the county statement said. “Additionally, the County’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated to monitor the situation and Public Utilities personnel are on-site at Richmond’s water facility to assist and track developments firsthand.”

Richmond Public School said only one school, Albert Hill Middle, was dismissed early Tuesday due to low water pressure.

An RPS statement said: “Water pressure remains steady at the overwhelming majority of our schools. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be covering the water fountains at schools across the division. All lunches were prepared prior to the advisory, as well.”

Virginia Commonwealth University sent an alert to students and staff saying the boil water notice was affecting both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses. “Campuses are open. Do not use water fountains,” the alert said.

City Council also planned their Tuesday night meeting.

Officials: offline oxidation system not a factor in system failure

City officials on Tuesday afternoon confirmed that the water treatment plant’s oxidation system, which employs chemicals designed to remove organic material from water during treatment, has not been operational since winter.

A city spokesperson told the Times-Dispatch that the fact that the system is offline “was not a contributing factor” to Tuesday’s boil advisory, which officials said was a result of excess clogging in the plant’s filters.

The oxidation process relies on compounds like hydrogen peroxide, ozone and ultraviolet radiation — or some combination thereof — to break down certain pollutants in untreated water. It generally does not act on existing solids, like the sediments that stopped up the filters, but it can act against coagulation.

Asked about that process and its lack of functionality during a virtual news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Richmond Department of Public Utilities Director Scott Morris also said “this was not an impact for this incident,” but he didn’t elaborate.

Avula: all protocols followed

DPU staff followed standard operating procedures, taking quick, appropriate action and informing state health officials of the issue in a timely manner, Mayor Avula said in a Tuesday morning statement. City officials also reached out to officials in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties, which purchase drinking water from the city.

It’s the third incident at the plant this year.

On the morning of Jan. 6, a power outage at the plant caused flooding that took the entire system offline. The flooding damaged critical components, leaving the city without drinkable water for six days.

It took hours for city officials to alert the public to the problem. State health officials later found that both staff and infrastructure within Richmond’s DPU were not prepared to handle the crisis, and described it as “entirely preventable.”

In the wake of the water crisis, former DPU Director April Bingham resigned, retracted her resignation and was fired.

Then, in April, DPU staff accidentally discharged excess fluoride into the region’s drinking water while installing a new fluoride pump — but didn’t alert Morris. Word of the incident got out after a plant staffer contacted Chesterfield police to report they had “poisoned the water,” texts obtained by The Times-Dispatch show.

Morris found out about the incident four days later from officials with the Virginia Department of Health, who had been contacted by Chesterfield. Avula found out five days later from Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas, who’d been alerted by the VDH.

Plant Operator Doug Towne was removed from the position after the fluoride discharge, and has been replaced with a longtime DPU employee while officials conduct a search for Towne’s successor.

Social media reaction

Early Tuesday, Richmond residents took to social media to report low water pressure at their homes and businesses.

However, one Reddit post on Thursday, five days before the latest water crisis proved prophetic.

A photo of black smoke rising from the Byrd Park reservoir riffed on the selection of a new pope. “Black smoke coming out of the Byrd Park reservoir: a new water crisis has been chosen.”

Little did they know.