Richmond, Va –The City of Richmond is hosting a virtual public meeting on August 19 at 6:00 p.m. to provide additional details and answer questions regarding upcoming utility projects in the Forest Hill Avenue area. These projects are continual work to replace failing infrastructure and improve system reliability, including aging water lines and deteriorated sewer laterals. 

Water line replacement
Location:  Hathaway Road from Riverside Drive/Longview Drive to the 2900 block of Hathaway Road
Anticipated start date: August 25, with a duration of six months

Sewer lateral replacement
Location: 6900 – 7000 blocks of Forest Hill Avenue westbound lanes
Anticipated start date: September 2, with a duration of two months

During the meeting, residents and business owners will have the opportunity to hear from DPU project managers to learn more about the project scopes and review project plans and traffic impacts. This meeting is open to all members of the public and affected property owners are strongly encouraged to attend. 

Meeting Details
Date: August 19 
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual

Meeting Link | Meeting ID: 251 549 138 971 5 | Passcode: kX6jX6dE 

+1 804-316-9457,,565779580# | Phone conference ID: 565 779 580#

The Public Notice, Comment, and Hearing Procedures for Rules and Regulations is under proposal to be adopted. The DPU Director will hold a hearing on August 20, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 730 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219 at which time any person may appear and be heard for or against the adoption of the amendment. Written comments may be provided to Lee Crowell (lee.crowell@rva.gov) prior to the hearing.

Public Notice, Comment, and Hearing Procedures for Rules and Regulations

With high intensity rain events forecasted for the region, the City of Richmond is actively preparing for potential flooding and urges residents and businesses to take precautionary steps to help minimize impacts.

While weather events are beyond our control, the City’s agencies are taking proactive steps to mitigate potential effects. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has deployed crews to inspect and clear storm drains in known trouble spots. Staff remain on-call and are prepared to respond quickly to blocked inlets or drainage issues. Additional signage for flood-prone streets has been staged and is ready for deployment if needed. Residents and businesses are encouraged to play a vital role in flood prevention by keeping storm drains clear of trash, leaves, sediment, cigarette butts, and lawn debris. Blocked inlets can significantly reduce drainage capacity, leading to localized flooding, driving hazards, and property damage even during minor rain events.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is also actively engaged, coordinating signage deployment in areas with known flood risk. While the Magnolia Street flood gate is currently inoperable, signage will be placed to alert drivers. Bainbridge Street flood gates remain operational. Emergency Services Operations (ESO) teams, along with Urban Forestry, Traffic, and Maintenance crews, are on call through the night to respond as needed.

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities (PRCF) will also be monitoring levels in the James River. James River Park System staff have protocols in place ensure the safety of all park users and have been activated with the recent rains. PRCF asks that residents adhere to the posted signage at river entry points.

City departments and partners are receiving regular weather updates and continuing coordinated response efforts to safeguard public infrastructure and community wellbeing. Flooding is a common occurrence during severe rainstorms, and several contributing factors can increase the risk. A full list of those factors is available on the City’s Stormwater Management page www.rva.gov/public-utilities/stormwater-management under the “Floodplain Management” tab. Long-term, the City’s RVAgreen 2050 plan has identified “Reducing risks and impacts to the community and natural environment from extreme precipitation and flooding” as one of its key objectives. The full plan is available at www.rvagreen2050.com/rvagreen-2050-plan.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed by visiting www.rva.gov or following us on Facebook and Instagram @RVAGov. The City of Richmond thanks the community for its cooperation and continued vigilance during this weather event.

Beginning Saturday, May 31 through Friday, June 8, 2025 between the hours of 7 am - 2 pm and weather permitting, the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) will be performing its annual floodwall testing. For the duration of the testing at the Mayo Bridge, the bridge will be closed to ALL forms of vehicular traffic to include motorists and bicyclists. Additionally, it will be closed to all foot traffic. Traffic impacts will be intermittent at all locations throughout the testing hours. During testing, only City of Richmond personnel and officials are permitted on site. Spectators are not allowed to be present as these areas will have restricted access due to public safety concerns. The following is a schedule of the dates and locations along the floodwall that testing will occur:

While floodwall testing is taking place, motorists will be detoured to adjoining streets. Barricades and signs will be posted to alert motorists. We strongly appeal to all travelers to obey signage to protect the safety of all, including the utility workers.

Richmond's floodwall gates are tested once a year in accordance with the Army Corps of Engineers standards to ensure operability when they are needed and were last tested in June 2024. The last activation of a floodwall occurred in February 2025 with the activation of the Dock Street floodwall, which closed Dock Street between 17th and 21st Streets. This activation was a cautionary measure in response to heavy rains in western parts of the James River Basin area.

May 30, 2025

Richmond, VA — 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 has coordinated 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.

DPU will continue to coordinate with regional partners to ensure the safety of the region's water supply.