HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico leaders said Sunday that the county's reserve tanks are full after city officials announced an accelerated timeline to repair a major water main break in downtown Richmond.
"Due in large part to residents’ efforts to conserve water, all of Henrico’s reserve tanks are currently filled," Henrico officials posted on social media. "Thank you for taking advantage of our free water distribution sites to lessen strain on the water system!"
Officials said public utilities technicians will monitor water flows and other system conditions as crews repair a water main in Richmond that normally helps to serve areas of eastern Henrico.
"During the repair, we will disconnect from the city, and that means closing valves at the main station that brings water in from the city," Public Utilities Director Bentley Chan said. "And back here, we can actually watch it all in real time, control it in real time, and make any adjustments that are necessary as we get updated information."
Henrico residents were asked Sunday to continue to limit water usage in preparation for Richmond crews to begin repairing the water main at 7th and Canal streets at 10 p.m. Sunday.
That work is expected to be completed early Monday. The repairs had been expected to start Monday night.
"While these repairs take place, DPU will isolate the water main and temporarily stop the flow of water into Henrico County," Richmond officials noted. "Repairs are intentionally scheduled for late-night, low-usage hours to limit the amount of water the County will need to use from water storage tanks."
County officials said customers should see consistent water pressure, although it could remain "slightly lower than normal."
To help folks limit use, county officials opened two drive-thru water distribution sites — one case per car — at Best Plaza (1400 Best Plaza Drive) and Harvie Elementary School (3401 Harvie Road). The sites will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice.
Officials stressed that Henrico's "water remains safe to consume, and its distribution system is stable," but officials noted customers could experience low water pressure.
Any residents who spot "any unusual water conditions" were asked to call the Henrico Department of Public Utilities at 804-501-5025 day or night.
Officials from the city and county said leadership has worked closely since Friday on the timeline and preparing and planning for the repairs.
“We have communicated and worked closely with Mayor Danny Avula and his team ever since the water main break occurred Thursday evening,” Chan said. “We truly appreciate their partnership and tireless efforts to keep our water safe and to get our system back to normal as quickly as possible. We also want to thank our residents for their patience and for helping by conserving water. Their efforts have helped us be ready for the work to begin.”
Public Utilities continues to take advantage of low system use in the overnight hours to route water from the Water Treatment Facility in western Henrico to replenish reserve tanks in eastern Henrico. Those tanks serve as a backup supply for customers in the central and eastern areas who receive their water directly from Richmond’s system. Henrico used much of those reserves early this week when operational issues at the city’s water treatment plant caused the county to temporarily disconnect from the city’s system. Public Utilities is working to refill its tanks to be able to serve customers during the time that repairs to the city’s water main are underway. At that time, Henrico plans to temporarily disconnect from the city’s system to allow the repairs to be completed expeditiously.
The Richmond water main break happened Thursday afternoon or evening and reduced water flow to the city's Church Hill Tank.
"We're doing everything that we can to ensure that our residents and community have water to meet their needs," Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas said at a Friday morning press conference. "At this time, many residents may experience low pressure. Henrico County is not under a boil water advisory. While the water is safe for consumption, we are strongly encouraging everyone to limit their use to the extent possible."
WATCH: 'If that pipe fails, then we're going to be out of water'
What Happened?
Richmond's Department of Public Utilities is planning a permanent repair to a water main break that occurred at 7th and Canal streets in downtown Richmond.
The break reduced water flow to 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 determined that a permanent repair could not take place without affecting water supplies to Richmond and Henrico County.
The permanent repair of the broken main is now scheduled to take place late Sunday night. The city said DPU would coordinate the timing of that repair with Henrico County to ensure no impact to regional water service.
This situation arose hours after the City of Richmond lifted its boil water advisory after water treatment plant maintenance issues.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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