Officials issued a boil-water advisory Tuesday in parts of Virginia’s capital city, leaving many residents without drinkable tap water following an operational issue at the city's water treatment plant for the second time this year.
Richmond officials said that the city's water treatment plant experienced an operational hiccup that clogged some of the plant's filters. In the morning, the water system had been restored to full production, but reclogged roughly an hour later.
Large swaths of the city, spanning Richmond's west end to downtown by the Capitol, and its northern neighborhoods, were under the advisory. In a news release, officials said all residents were asked to conserve water.
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said in a statement he would examine what caused the clogging and identify any future improvements at the water treatment facility.
The boil-water advisory follows a nearly week-long period in January when approximately 230,000 Richmond residents were without drinkable tap water after a power failure caused a malfunction at the water treatment facility.
In April, the Virginia Department of Health released a report saying the crisis was avoidable, pointing to city officials’ poor emergency planning and faulty maintenance practices.
