Henrico officials renew calls for regional water authority at Friday press conference

A water main break overnight in the city of Richmond did not result in lost service for Henrico residents, but caused plenty of consternation among county officials, who used the opportunity to advocate once again for regional water oversight.

Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas praised Richmond Mayor Danny Avula for his communication during the incident, but also made clear his unhappiness with the state of the water system.

“Let me pause here a moment and express that it is frustrating when logistically we do not receive water, a basic service that the city must contractually provide,” he said amid updates on the situation.

The water main break, which is located on Canal Street in Downtown Richmond, can only be fixed by turning off the flow of water to Eastern Henrico.

Henrico DPU Director Bentley Chan said the county will build up its reserves over the weekend, then the current plan is for the repairs to take place Monday night, at a time of lower demand, when the reserves can get the county through the repairs.

Vithoulkas said the standing up of an emergency operations center was a precautionary measure in case anything goes wrong during that timeframe.

“It is a complex repair, and as we have seen, there are often unknown factors that we discover as we fix these,” he said. “We have offered to the city of Richmond public and private resources and assistance to supplement the city's efforts and help get this fixed as quickly as possible.”

Tyrone Nelson, who represents Eastern Henrico’s Varina district on the Board of Supervisors, said it is important the county work towards a regional water authority so it can best provide for its residents.

“Henrico has asked to be able to maintain a staff presence at the city's water treatment plant, to support and enhance the city's efforts,” he said. “By having experienced engineers on site like we have, and bringing additional resources to the table, we can help ensure that proper maintenance occurs, that best practices are followed, and that communications are timely.”

Vithoulkas was asked about the potential perception that the county was kicking the city while it was down, after a week that left many city residents in a boil water advisory.

“We absolutely do not want to do anything to harm the city,” he said. “I think I’ve said twice or three times what the communication has been with the mayor's office. I was on the phone with him last night at 10 o'clock, and first thing this morning, he was one of the first people that reached out. So there is continuous conversation. 

“The frustration that I noted regarding the delivery of public service goes to the fact that, you know, I've been the manager here for 14 years, and I've been an employee for close to 30, and we're just not accustomed to this type of service interruption.

“I think Mr. Nelson put it well. You have a region that is willing and wants to find a solution, and I think the city is open to that. We just need to get there, and we haven't been able to get there because of the multitude of issues that have come either from the plant or now this water main break.”

Nelson said the county is working with neighboring localities on a regional water plan, which they hope to present soon.

Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.