Update: Water main work will now take place Sunday night
Saturday, 4:33 p.m. update
The City of Richmond says it will repair a broken water main on Sunday night, instead of Monday.
According to a city release:
"While these repairs take place, DPU will isolate the water main and temporarily stop the flow of water into Henrico County. However, since Friday, the City of Richmond’s Water Treatment Plant has supplied enough water to Henrico County to both meet everyday usage demands and for the County to fill their water storage tanks to a sufficient level. Repairs are intentionally scheduled for late-night, low-usage hours to limit the amount of water the County will need to use from water storage tanks."
Friday, 3:17 p.m.
Michael Phillips
11:58 a.m.
Henrico and Richmond residents have stable water at the moment, but planning is ongoing for fixes to the Canal Street water main, which will involve turning off the water supply used by Eastern Henrico customers briefly.
At a Friday press conference, Henrico officials said the work was tentatively being planned for Monday night, during a period of light use in the water system, in an attempt to prevent a disruption of service.
8:18 a.m. update
The City of Richmond says that overnight fixes should preserve water availability for all customers in the city and county.
The city's release says:
"Yesterday, the City of Richmond experienced a water main break at 7th and Canal Streets which led to a reduction in the amount of water flowing into the City’s Church Hill Tank.
"An overnight repair was scheduled during low-demand hours to minimize the impact to customers. During the repair work, Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) determined that a permanent repair could not take place without an impact to Richmonders and Henrico County residents. DPU quickly coordinated with Henrico County to develop a plan to ensure appropriate levels of water would be maintained in the City's storage tanks and that regional water service would continue uninterrupted.
"Due to proactive efforts by DPU staff, this plan was effectively implemented, and safe water pressure was maintained throughout the entire distribution system during this short overnight timeframe. Today, water service to residents remains safe and stable.
"The permanent repair of the broken main will likely take place early next week. DPU will coordinate the timing of that repair with Henrico County to ensure no impact to regional water service and to allow Henrico County time to plan appropriate water storage for their customers."
Original story
Residents of Henrico County are dealing with potential water issues after what the county said was an overnight water main break in Richmond, near the primary water connection pump between the two localities.
As of Friday morning, service is stable and county officials say the water is safe to drink. However, water pressure could fluctuate throughout the day.
"Central and eastern Henrico residents are likely to experience low water pressure, though residents have reported low pressure countywide," the county said in a 2:04 a.m. update.
At 5:14 a.m., the county said it had been able to refill water storage tanks around the county overnight, "to help sustain water service during the day Friday."
The release continued:
"This process will continue each night until the break can be repaired. Water pressures are expected to fluctuate until the water main break is repaired. Officials request residents to consider conserving water where possible during this time.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the county is opening a water distribution center from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, May 30, at the former Best Products site, 1400 Best Plaza Drive. Residents will receive drive-through service with a limit of one case of bottled water per car."
