Richmond authorities unveiled the concluding post-assessment report for January’s event on February 1st. water crisis On Thursday, the city stated, "This report expands on previous discoveries, providing further understanding of the underlying reasons for the water outage and an assessment of the municipality's reaction."
As stated in the report from HNTB, the company that examined the event, the city's water treatment facility experienced an 80-minute power outage on January 6th.
The document states that the blackout and water service interruption were exacerbated by two elements:
- The water treatment plant was functioning in "Winter Mode," depending solely on one crucial part rather than employing the more robust "Summer Mode" with additional backup parts.
- In the event of the primary power supply failing, the automatic transfer switch, referred to as a "Bus Tie," did not engage, thus blocking the redirection of power to the secondary available source.
The document further indicates that these problems were exacerbated by poor communication and inadequate preparation at the facility.
"We are dedicated to implementing the required measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, and I am thankful that the suggestions outlined in this concluding evaluation will guide us in the correct direction," stated Richmond Mayor Danny Avula in a press statement.
HNTB has offered services to the city including both short- and long-term suggestions to avoid future problems.
City authorities in Richmond mention that they have adopted multiple suggestions, such as consistently running the water facility in "Summer Mode" with two electrical supply sources. This change removes the risk associated with having just one point of potential power failure, which was responsible for the water shortage in January.
"The city continues to uphold its commitment to complete openness during this procedure and will work towards making essential enhancements to guarantee robust water services for the community," stated Richmond in Thursday’s press statement.
The most recent update features interviews conducted over the last few weeks with Mayor Avula, interim CAO Sabrina Joy-Hogg, heads of neighboring counties, and others. Not included were remarks from the previous DPU director, April Bingham.
According to HNTB, the city supplied Bingham with the necessary information and attempted to reach out to her for an interview. However, she declined, and HNTB did not receive Bingham’s phone number to make direct contact.
The new information indicates a postponement in notifying other authorities of a potential water disruption. According to the report, it took approximately five hours from the onset of initial electrical problems before Bingham alerted Joy-Hogg regarding this issue.
The document highlights a postponement in issuing a boil water advisory. Those at the center of the crisis debated this option numerous times across several hours prior to finally approaching the Department of Health for its release.
HNTB discovered instances of incorrect information and poor communication between DPU employees and city workers, with some believing a backup generator was present when it actually wasn’t. This misunderstanding led to an unwarranted sense of safety among nearby counties according to HNTB’s report.
According to the report, even though everyone needed to pitch in during this crisis, several workers at the facility were putting in 16-hour shifts for consecutive days. This resulted in exhaustion and impaired judgment as well as reduced effectiveness.
HNTB is advocating for an enhanced crisis communication strategy, and the City has brought in a new consultant to look into this matter.
Click/tap here To see the concluding post-operation evaluation document.