RICHMOND, Va. — When an employee of the Richmond Water Treatment Plant called a state agency to report an overflow of fluoride into the drinking water supply, he said no one was taking action to address the problem. That's according to an incident report that CBS 6 obtained from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).
On Sunday, April 27, the report noted that a person who called VDEM's Situational Awareness Unit advised "63,000 gallons of fluoride and possibly other chemicals" were released into the drinking water source from the plant due to an equipment malfunction.
He said the leak began five days prior on April 23 and was still "ongoing" at the time of the call. The employee stated he closed the valves on the fluoride pump but still found levels of fluoride in the water.
Responding to the incident report, DPU spokesperson Rhonda Johnson said she did not know why the caller reported 63,000 gallons leaked as the fluoride tank only holds 10,000 gallons. She said operators typically refer to fluoride by measurements of pounds as opposed to gallons.
Johnson additionally said that no other chemicals leaked into the water and that by April 27, the April 23 overflow was not actively occurring, but some fluoride did remain in the system in decreasing levels as it was flushed out.
Testing that was done several days after the leak showed some samples did indicate higher than normal concentrations of fluoride in the distribution system, but officials said the short-term exposure did not cause a public health concern.
According to the VDEM incident report, the employee stated at the time of his call that it "does not appear anyone is doing anything" about the fluoride issue and "nothing is being done about it," despite his supervisor being aware of the situation.
As CBS 6 previously reported, an "operator in responsible charge" knew about the fluoride overflow four days before it was ever reported to regulators and regional utility leaders.
The employee's call to VDEM is what eventually triggered notifications to the state health department and Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico counties which expressed frustrations about the delay in communication, especially on the heels of the water crisis.
When answering questions from city councilmembers on Monday, DPU Director Scott Morris said he's working to develop new standard operating procedures pertaining to communication.
“When the water treatment center had the failure in January, I think the primary thing that really we heard loud and clear from residents was frustrations as it pertained to communication," said Councilmember Kenya Gibson (3rd District). "What can we do to address these communication issues moving forward?"
“I think ultimately what we need to do is something that we've already planned to do, which is making sure that the communication plan is formalized and gets out and trained against, so the employees know who to call and when to escalate things. Not knowing what to do and when to do it is always a concern to me," Morris responded.
Morris said he was not aware of the situation until Sunday night after that call to VDEM. He said he immediately took next steps to notify the appropriate stakeholders.
When asked whether any communication protocols were in place prior to this event, Johnson said all operators were required to follow waterworks regulations which require reporting such an incident within 24 hours.
The Virginia Department of Health's drinking water chief said he intends to issue a notice of alleged violation to the city regarding this matter once the state's investigation wraps up.
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