RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond has not definitively determined the cause of a leaking water main at 7th and Canal Streets that threatened water service in parts of Henrico County for five days.
Rhonda Johnson, a spokesperson with Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities, said Monday "early reports indicate the leak is due to aged infrastructure that has deteriorated over time,” but she said that was “not definitive."
The head of the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, Dwayne Roadcap, said pressure differences along the water main during last week's boil water advisory could have contributed to the break.
"We are asking the questions, and we are going to make sure the city does the right work and the right analysis about what happened here," Roadcap said.
During the recent boil water advisory, Henrico County disconnected from Richmond's water supply before reconnecting when the advisory was lifted.
This process may have created pressure differences that could have damaged the line, according to Roadcap.
Henrico County receives approximately one-third of its water from Richmond through an agreement established in 1994 that extends through 2040.
The affected water main plays a critical role in supplying water to the county.
Another possibility is that contractors accidentally hit the line.
Construction work is currently taking place in the area as part of a city water valve replacement project that began on May 19th and is expected to continue until July.
Some residents reported to CBS 6 as well as Richmond 311 that they noticed water bubbling from the ground in the area for several months.
But, Johnson said DPU staff confirmed that water was associated with the valve replacement project and not the water main break.
"We will look at the work the city has been doing there, we will also consider the events about the boil water advisory and whether those pressure differences in the distribution system might have contributed, whether it was both things, or whether there was just bad luck and it just happened to break at that time and it's unrelated to any of the other instances," Roadcap said.
While the Office of Drinking Water does not typically investigate water main breaks, Roadcap noted that his office is asking questions about this incident due to Richmond's recent water issues.
"When we look at this latest incident we start to look at you know about the reliability and capability of the city to continue to operate at a high level and the citizens expect and that we would expect as the regulator," Roadcap said.
Roadcap acknowledged that determining the exact cause of a water line leak can be challenging, so his office may not be able to reach firm conclusions, but they are investigating the matter.
CBS 6 asked Johnson Tuesday for updates about the root cause of the break, and we are waiting for a response.
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