Richmond’s boil water advisory lifted following days without drinkable tap water

A boil advisory has been lifted in Virginia’s capital city after approximately 230,000 residents went about four days without safe drinking water amid a winter storm.

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula made the announcement on Saturday, declaring that the water supply was now safe following two negative bacteria tests of the water that were taken 16 hours apart.

“We have reached our goal, Richmond,” said Avula in a news release. “After an incredible amount of work by so many dedicated public servants — as well as regional, state, and federal partners — we have received the news we’ve been waiting for: With two rounds of clean test results, we have verified that our water is clean and safe for people to drink.”

The water issue was the result of a malfunction at Richmond’s water treatment plant caused by a power outage on Monday, Jan. 6 during the winter storm. Officials initially expected the matter to be resolved within hours; however, on the following day, crews were met with another obstacle when an electric panel at the facility failed and slowed down the restoration process.

Surrounding areas, including Hanover and Henrico counties, were placed under water advisories as well, impacting an additional 449,000 people overall. Virginia’s first full day of the legislative session was also delayed.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin took to X to thank those who helped those in need during the crisis.

He also called for an investigation into what led to the issue so that this could be prevented from happening again in the future:

Officials say residents may temporarily experience cloud water coming out of their faucets due to trapped air bubbles as the system continues to normalize.