RICHMOND, Va. — Henrico County water distribution sites remain in operation after attempts to repair a water main break in the City of Richmond couldn't be completed Sunday night into Monday.
Work to repair a broken Richmond water main at 7th and Canal streets was paused Monday as crews experienced difficulty in "isolating the water line," according to city officials.
Work will continue Monday evening in an effort to ensure both the City of Richmond and eastern Henrico County maintain water pressure.
"The engineered repair plan for the water main called for two line stop installations—which were successfully completed. However, there was difficulty in isolating the water line, and another line stop will be required. To ensure water flow is sustained at normal levels during the high-demand morning period and throughout the rest of the workday, repair work was halted and will begin again tonight. Residents and businesses in both Richmond City and Henrico County remain unaffected by these repairs," a Richmond spokesperson wrote in a Monday morning update about the situation. "Leadership from both the City of Richmond and Henrico County worked closely together since Friday to prepare and plan for this repair and were onsite overnight. They will remain in communication to coordinate this work through its completion."
Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) employees found the water main break after learning about a sinkhole in that area last Thursday morning.
The break impacted water pressure in eastern Henrico, as parts of Henrico County rely on the City of Richmond for its water supply.
After asking county residents to conserve water on Friday in preparation for the worst (losing water service), Henrico County leaders said Sunday that the county's reserve tanks were again full.
"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!"
County officials said customers should see consistent water pressure.
To help limit water 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.
"I still had some water left from the last time," Henrico residents Desiree and Janet told CBS 6 at the Harvie Elementary location. "So, when I heard this time and we were just coming from a graduation, little pre-K graduation. So, we was like the water distribution. Let's go get our water."
Officials stressed that Henrico's water remains safe to consume and its distribution system is stable, but they noted customers could experience low water pressure.
"We thank Richmond’s team for working tirelessly throughout the night to repair the water main and get our system back to normal operations," Bentley Chan, director of Department of Public Utilities, said in a statement. "Repair projects of this nature can be extremely challenging, and often the complexities aren’t fully known until work begins. As work resumes tonight, we will continue to coordinate with the city to meet our customers’ needs."
Any residents who spot unusual water conditions were asked to call the Henrico Department of Public Utilities at 804-501-5025 day or night.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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