Posted January 6, 2025

Richmond, VA —  The City of Richmond, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, has issued a Boil Water Advisory immediately and until further notice for residents served by the City of Richmond’s water system. This includes all residents in the city of Richmond. It is urgent that impacted residents take conservation steps immediately and boil water before consuming it.  

In regional cooperation, the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover have removed themselves from the City’s water supply and transferred to other supplies. Residents in those counties are not impacted by the boil water advisory. 

Some customers may experience a total loss of water service, while others may experience varying degrees of loss in water pressure. 

"Our top priority is the health and safety of our residents and neighbors. I am asking all Richmonders to limit their water usage as the team at the Department of Public Utilities works around the clock to get our water system back online,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “I’m also asking residents to consider their neighbors and only use as much water as they need – we’re all in this together, and our team is vigorously working to restore full function to our water system in the near term.”

This advisory comes after a winter weather storm-related loss of power today impacted the City’s water reservoir system, causing the system to temporarily malfunction. Capacity restoration services are currently underway.

“We know the importance water plays in our everyday lives,” says April Bingham, Senior Director for the Department of Public Utilities. “My team is diligently working to bring the water system back online along with the support of our partners.”

City officials remain in close contact with the Virginia Health Department to assess and resolve the situation. Once the water system is back online, Department of Public Utilities personnel will begin the process of flushing the system and ensuring that the water is safe to drink.

The City will communicate new information as it becomes available through rva.gov and its social media pages.

Below is a checklist for safe water use during this time:

• Do not drink tap water during this boil water alert.
• Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.
• Do not use ice made from water today.
• Discard the ice and sanitize the ice machine and/or ice trays. Likewise, do not use water or dispensed directly from a refrigerator.
• Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
• Do not wash your dishes using tap water – use boiled water or use paper plates for the next few days.
• Do not wash your fruits and vegetables with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
• Do not brush your teeth with tap water -- use boiled or bottled water.
• Do not cook with tap water, unless your food will be boiled vigorously for three minutes.T

Temporary water conservation tips:

• Eliminate or shorten shower times.
• Avoid unnecessary toilet flushes,
• Avoid washing clothes for as long as possible.
• Postpone washing dishes if possible.
• Check all faucets, showerheads and under cabinets for drips.

Please share this information with everyone in your household, local friends and family, and others who may have not received this advisory directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).

For more information on the boil water advisory, visit the Virginia Department of Health Boil Water FAQs: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/drinking-water/boil-water-faqs/

La Ciudad de Richmond emite una Alerta Inmediata para hervir el agua y alienta encarecidamente a los richmondeses para que limiten su consumo de agua

Richmond, Virginia — La Ciudad de Richmond, en conjunto con el Departamento de Salud de Virginia, ha emitido una Alerta Inmediata para hervir el agua desde ahora hasta nuevo aviso a todos los habitantes que reciben su agua potable del sistema de acueducto de la ciudad; esta alerta incluye a todos los habitantes. Es de extrema urgencia que todas las personas afectadas empiecen a ahorrar agua inmediatamente y además la hiervan antes de utilizarla.

Debido a esto, y en colaboración con la ciudad, los condados de Chesterfield, Henrico y Hanover se han desconectado del suministro de agua de la Ciudad y se han conectado a otras fuentes. Los habitantes de dichos condados no han sido afectados por esta alerta de hervir el agua.

Algunos clientes del acueducto municipal podrán sufrir una pérdida total del servicio, mientras que otros podrán verse afectados por pérdidas de presión en el servicio.

El alcalde Danny Avula dijo: "Nuestra principal prioridad es la salud y seguridad de nuestros habitantes y visitantes. Le pido a todos los richmondeses que limiten su consumo de agua mientras el equipo del Departamento de Servicios Públicos trabaja contrarreloj para poner de nuevo en marcha nuestro sistema de acueducto”. “También les pido a todos que tengan en cuenta a sus vecinos y solo usen la cantidad de agua que les sea indispensable; estamos juntos en esta situación y nuestro equipo está trabajando a activamente para restaurar completamente el servicio de acueducto en un corto tiempo”, añadió.

Esta alerta llega como consecuencia de un apagón relacionado con el clima invernal, que hoy afectó al sistema de embalses de la Ciudad, causando fallas temporales en dicho sistema. En este momento están en marcha nuestros sistemas de restauración de fallas en el servicio.

“Sabemos la importancia que tiene el agua en nuestra vida diaria,” dijo April Bingham, directora ejecutiva del Departamento de Servicios Públicos. Bingham agregó: “Mi equipo está trabajando diligentemente con el apoyo de nuestros asociados para poner de nuevo en marcha el sistema de acueducto”.

Los funcionarios de la Ciudad siguen en contacto con el Departamento de Salud de Virginia para evaluar y resolver esta situación. Una vez que el servicio de acueducto vuelva a funcionar, el personal del Departamento de Servicios Públicos empezará el

proceso de purgado del sistema, para asegurarse de que el agua sea segura para beber. La administración de la ciudad publicará en rva.gov y en sus páginas en redes sociales cualquier novedad que surja, a medida que haya más información disponible.

A continuación tenemos una lista de verificación para que la tenga en cuenta durante estos momentos y pueda tener un consumo seguro de agua:

• NO beba agua directamente del grifo (“llave”) durante la duración de esta alerta.
• NO beba agua de las fuentes o surtidores que encuentra en los parques o edificios (públicos o privados) que reciben su suministro de agua del Departamento de Servicios Públicos de Richmond.
• NO use hielo hecho con agua obtenida del grifo hoy. Descarte ese hielo y desinfecte su hielera y las bandejas o contenedores de hielo. Asimismo, NO use agua dispensada por su refrigerador.
• NO use agua del grifo para preparar bebidas, jugos o sodas (“gaseosas”).
• NO lave sus platos con agua del grifo; use agua hervida o utensilios y platos desechables durante los próximos días.
• NO lave sus frutas y vegetales con agua del grifo; use agua hervida o embotellada.
• NO se cepille los dientes con agua del grifo; use agua hervida o embotellada.
• NO cocine utilizando agua del grifo, a menos que pueda hervir su preparación a fuego alto por tres minutos seguidos.

Consejos para conservación temporal del agua:

• Tome duchas cortas o no se duche si puede.
• Evite bajar innecesariamente el agua del sanitario.
• Evite lavar su ropa por tanto tiempo como le sea posible.
• Posponga el lavado de platos y utensilios si le es posible.
• Revise todos los grifos, cabezales de ducha y debajo de sus lavamanos y lavaplatos para prevenir fugas.
• Comparta esta información con todos los habitantes de su hogar, sus amigos y familiares que viven en Richmond, y con otros que no hayan podido recibir esta alerta directamente (por ejemplo, los vecinos de su conjunto de apartamentos, los residentes de hogares para ancianos, su escuela local y los negocios de su vecindario).

Si desea más información acerca de la alerta para hervir el agua, visite la sección de preguntas frecuentes (“FAQs”) de la página de internet del Departamento de Salud de Virginia: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/drinking-water/boil-water-faqs/

City of Richmond closed Monday and Inclement Weather Shelter capacity temporarily expanded

Posted Jan. 5, 2025

Richmond, VA -- Today, due to the anticipated impact of severe weather conditions, Mayor Danny Avula declared a State of Emergency in the City of Richmond. Additionally, all City of Richmond offices will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, and previously scheduled public meetings will be rescheduled—including the January 6, 2025 City Council meetings.

Residents should visit rva.gov and the City of Richmond’s social media channels for updates on City operations. For weather updates, please monitor reliable sources of information such as the National Weather Service.

Inclement Weather Shelters

To protect and shelter Richmond’s most vulnerable residents, the City’s Inclement Weather Shelter, located at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue and operated by the Salvation Army, began continuous operations on Friday, January 3, 2025. The Inclement Weather Shelter will operate continuously through Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 8:00 a.m.

Additionally, two temporary inclement weather overflow shelters will open during this inclement weather event and will operate from 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, 2025 to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7, 2025: 

• Marshall Plaza, 900 E. Marshall Street, Richmond (single adult men and women/families)
• Richmond Police Department’s 2nd Precinct, 177 E. Belt Boulevard (single adult men and women)

Note these two locations will serve in an overflow capacity only. Single adult men and women in need should prioritize sheltering at the Inclement Weather Shelter located at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue. As capacity is reached, the two additional sites will be activated. Meals will be provided at all sites.

City offices and services are expected to return to normal hours on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Please monitor the City website and local news outlets for any changes.

RVA311 will be open normal business hours, and residents can call  3-1-1 or 804-646-7000 (or submit service request online anytime).

Download the Declaration of Emergency.

Interim Chief Appointed 

Posted Dec. 27, 2024

Richmond, VA – Today, Richmond Fire Department Chief Melvin Carter announced that he will retire effective December 31, 2024. Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal will be appointed as the interim chief. 

"Today, Chief Melvin Carter informed me he will retire at the end of the month. He's the first African American native of Richmond, born and raised in the city, to rise to the rank of Fire Chief of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. After nearly 40 years of service and seven years as our Fire Chief, I want to thank him for his unwavering commitment to the safety of his hometown. We are a safer city because of Melvin Carter, and I wish him the best in retirement.” said Mayor Levar Stoney. 

“The City thanks Chief Carter for his dedication and service in public safety and wishes him well in his future endeavors,” said Sabrina Joy-Hogg, Senior Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. “We are confident that Interim Chief Segal and the dedicated staff of the Fire Department will continue to serve the City with excellence.”  

On his career of service to the City of Richmond, Chief Carter said, “I am profoundly grateful God provided me opportunity to serve the city where I was born and raised for the past 37 years. It has been a true blessing to realize my childhood dream in this capacity. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mayor Stoney for entrusting me with the leadership of the Richmond Fire Department during his tenure. It has been an honor to serve in this role.” 

The City will conduct a national search for a chief to lead the Richmond Fire Department in the coming weeks. 

About Jeffrey Segal: Assistant Chief Segal joined the Richmond Fire and Emergency Services Department in 2020. He previously served in the Baltimore City Fire Department for over 30 years, advancing through the ranks from Fire Pump Operator to Assistant Chief. He also served as the Interim Chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department. Segal received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in The Science of Management from The Johns Hopkins University. He has been married to Dana Segal since 1986 and has three children. 

By: Ross Catrow

Over the last eight years, Bobby Vincent, Director of Public Works, and his street crews have been hard at work paving street after street, neighborhood after neighborhood all across Richmond. With constant attention (and financial support in the budget), DPW has paved thousands of lane miles of streets (we have over 2,400 in the City). Over the last six years, that hard work brought the percentage of our streets with a “Paving Condition Index” (PCI) of Satisfactory or Good from 35% in 2018 all the way up to 75% in 2024!

But what does “all across Richmond” actually mean? Check out the below .gif to see how many of our streets’ PCI shifted from reddish (Serious, Very Poor, Poor) in 2017 to a soothing sea of green (Satisfactory, Good) in 2024. This kind of citywide quality-of-life improvement makes a big difference to all users of our streets—people who ride, roll, take the bus, or even drive.

P.S. If you’ve got a pothole that needs filling or a road that needs repairing, head on over to RVA311.com and submit a request.

Originally posted December 18, 2024

NOTE: Updated and reposted January 7, 2025 with the new date

This recycling event also includes paper shredding, the collection of electronics, mattresses, and box springs

Who:   The Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW), The Clean City Commission, and the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA)

What: 16th Annual Richmond Bring One for the Chipper Christmas Tree Recycling Event

When: NEW Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Where: 1710 Robin Hood Road (23220) Northeast corner of Robin Hood Road & North Arthur Ashe Boulevard

The city offers this event to promote responsible recycling, sustainability and to help reduce waste in our community. Richmond residents can recycle their Christmas trees, shred sensitive documents, dispose of unwanted mattresses (and box springs), and drop off old electronics – all in one easy drive-through location with curbside assistance from our volunteers. Proper recycling helps save natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and diverts waste from landfills. It also helps keep city waterways, streams, and rivers clean.

This free event is available to city residents – proof of residency is required. No commercial or business items will be accepted. Note: some fees apply to recycling electronics (go to rva.gov/public-works/clean-city-commission and click on the tab for recycling to get the list of fees).

Christmas Tree Recycling Options | no charge (please remove all lights and decorations):

Trees will be chipped into mulch onsite and used in local parks, gardens, and for landscapes. Free mulch will be available.

• Tree Drop-off: Residents can drop off their trees at the following two locations:

1. 1710 Robin Hood Road on the day of the event or prior to the event
   
   • If dropping off prior to the recycling event, please place the tree in the designated area
   • Note: No trees will be accepted at 1710 Robin Hood Road after the event ends at 2 p.m. on January 18, 2025.

2. East Richmond Road Convenience Center (ERRCC), located at 3800 East Richmond Road
   
   • The ERRCC hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday
   • Residents can start dropping off Christmas trees after the holiday through January 16, 2025.

• Curbside Collection Instructions – handled by the department’s bulk and brush team:

• • Please place your Christmas tree (with no lights or decorations) beside your recycle cart and it will be picked up on your regular recycle collection day (or during the week) by the bulk and brush team (not by CVWMA).
  • The team will collect Christmas trees curbside after the holiday through Thursday, January 16, 2025. 
  • Note: All trees collected curbside or dropped off at the ERRCC will be recycled.

This recycling event also includes:

Paper Shredding – no charge

Securely shred personal documents to prevent identity theft and keep sensitive information safe.

• Up to five (5) paper bags or boxes of paper documents
• Remove staples and clips
• Paper shredded onsite

Electronics – various fees apply

Electronics will be collected for environmentally responsible disposal.

• Computer systems (hard drive or CPU) and accessories (cables, wires, keyboards, mice, speakers, etc.) VCRs, camcorders, stereos, and all phones
• Televisions, computer monitors and printers
• Other electronic equipment (almost anything with a plug - see the online list for clarification)
• To get fees and the full list of electronics go to:
  
  • www.rva.gov/public-works/clean-city-commission and click on the tab for recycling

Back by Popular Demand! Mattresses and Box Spring Recycling – no charge (in partnership with CVWMA

With limited landfill capacity, these items occupy valuable space, and they take decades to break down. Recycling them will reduce the environmental impact and will help prevent the release of harmful chemicals and other materials found in mattresses, such as flame retardants and synthetic fibers from leaching into the soil and water system. This initiative provides a convenient and eco-friendly solution for disposing these items properly. It also promotes a circular economy where products are reused and repurposed, leading to a more sustainable community. 

• • Acceptable:
    
    • Clean or lightly soiled
  • Unacceptable:
    
    • Wet, heavily soiled, or with bed bugs

1. • Drop-Off Options for Mattresses/Box Springs:
1. Starting Sunday, January 5, 2025, residents can drop off mattresses/box springs at the event location (1710 Robin Hood Road, 23220)
   
   1. Please place them in the designated area in the recycle container

2. Drop-off Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the event from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
   • • NOTE: No mattresses or box springs will be taken after 2 pm on the day of the event

For more information on DPW, please visit us online at www.rva.gov/public-works or email us at AskPublicWorks@rva.gov

We’re Social! For updates on DPW-related projects, activities and events visit us on X (formerly Twittter) @DPW_RichmondVA or on Instagram at RVACleanCityCommission

                                                                        ###

The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 195 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting; graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW maintains upkeep on most city buildings; issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages the RVA Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1