Posted Feb. 14, 2025

The City of Richmond is sharing the preliminary after-action report from the outside firm hired to conduct an independent investigation of the circumstances that led to water service disruption in early January. 

The findings in the preliminary after-action report produced by HNTB Corporation, an engineering and infrastructure development firm with more than 100 years of experience, affirm that a power outage resulting from a winter storm started a chain reaction that caused flooding at the water treatment plant, damaging equipment and hampering efforts to restore water service. 

The HNTB report summarizes the sequence of events following that early morning power outage. It also lays out a series of initial recommendations that serve as a blueprint for process enhancements and protocol changes to strengthen operations at the City’s water treatment plant. 

“The release of the summary findings from HNTB provide an overview of the events of January 6, 2025 at the City’s water treatment plant, including the timing of the power outage that led to flooding that damaged critical plant equipment and computer systems, the staff response, and the service restoration effort,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “Since water service was restored, the City has made a series of changes to plant operations and equipment. That includes millions of dollars in investments towards the recovery work, much of which has been spent on equipment upgrades and repairs — including new backup power systems. We have also made meaningful changes to plant procedures, consistent with several HNTB recommendations, as part of continuing efforts to make water treatment plant operations more resilient.” 

Added Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Interim Director Scott Morris, DBA: “Many of the water plant process improvement recommendations in the HNTB report align with steps that have already been taken to more effectively deploy staff, prepare them for emergency response situations, strengthen system redundancy, and enhance preparedness protocols through training and practice exercises. That includes readiness preparation for inclement weather events, as well as regular checks of facility equipment, fuel, chemicals, and systems to avert the potential for future impact on operational continuity and service delivery.” 

The release of HNTB’s preliminary findings is part of the City’s continuing commitment to better understand the events of January 6, 2025 and share that information with the public.  

A final report from HNTB is forthcoming. 

Download the preliminary after-action report: https://rva.gov/media/41406