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A boil-water advisory in Virginia’s capital will remain in place at least until Saturday morning, officials said, leaving residents without drinkable tap water for a fourth day following an outage at the city’s treatment facility.
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said during a news conference Friday morning that officials conducted a first test of the facility’s water after pressure was fully restored on Thursday. Avula has said that the advisory can only be lifted following two negative bacteria tests of the water — each taken 16 hours apart.
“We’re making headway on the testing process to confirm our water supply is safe for drinking,” Avula said.
Avula said the results of the first test were expected on Friday afternoon, making Saturday morning the earliest time officials could lift the advisory. The announcement comes after Richmond’s 200,000-plus residents have been without drinkable tap water since Monday afternoon, when a malfunction at the water treatment facility was caused by a power failure during a snowstorm.
After the outage, the restoration process was delayed after a piece of equipment that manages water filters failed Tuesday. Full pressure was restored on Thursday to all areas served by the water system.
During the week, public schools were closed and residents were tasked with finding drinkable water for their households. Tanker trucks delivered water to area hospitals, while distribution centers have opened throughout Richmond. Officials worked to make sure people had access to baby formula and other water-based essential needs. Community centers in the area, including several branches of the YMCA and a local JCC, also offered facilities such as showers.
The Virginia legislature, based in the capital city, also delayed its first full working day of session. Lawmakers quickly met on Wednesday to conduct procedural matters before recessing until the following Monday. In front of the statehouse, a row of portable toilets lined the lawn of the building, which did not have water pressure.
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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
