Henrico was able to refill overnight its reserve tanks that are temporarily providing water to customers in the county’s eastern area while the city of Richmond continues efforts to restore its water treatment plant to normal operations.
“By successfully routing water from our Water Treatment Facility in western Henrico to our system of six tanks in the east end, we’ve ensured that these reserves are fully restored and able to meet the needs of our residents and other customers, as needed, for at least 24 to 48 hours,” said Bentley Chan, director of the Henrico Department of Public Utilities. “Many factors, including the rainy weather and relatively low water use, helped in refilling these tanks.”
Henrico’s water remains safe for consumption and use, and the county is not subject to a boil water advisory. Pressure throughout the system continues to register within normal ranges.
Henrico disconnected from the city’s water distribution system Tuesday morning after city officials reported that a majority of the city’s filters had been clogged by excessive sediment in the James River, prompting a temporary suspension of operations at the Richmond Water Treatment Plant. That facility serves customers in the city and other parts of the region, including portions of Henrico.
“Our region came together in a strong way yesterday and overnight,” Chan said. “Henrico and Hanover had staff onsite as Richmond’s team was able to restore the city’s Ginter Park Tank and steadily increase water production. Henrico is appreciative of the cooperation and support of all our partners. We remain hopeful that this progress will continue and we’ll soon be able to get back to normal.”