RICHMOND, Va. — Each locality affected by the water crisis took a different approach to supply water to the thousands of residents impacted. In a matter of hours, Henrico County mobilized drinking water across state lines, enabling the establishment of 24/7 distribution sites. The county attributes its success to an all-hands-on-deck approach and extensive emergency training, which were critical in meeting the urgent needs of the community.
Henrico County met these needs one month ago as life temporarily changed for residents across Henrico County as well as Richmond and Hanover County. Residents were under a boil water advisory or had no water.
Rob Rowley, Chief of Emergency Management for Henrico County, was responsible for navigating the emergency caused by multiple failures at Richmond’s water plant.
“When you look at the numbers, what we did was truly incredible,” he said.
Watch: Could Henrico County sue Richmond after water crisis? Here's a look at their current agreement.
During the crisis, Henrico County distributed 100 tractor-trailer loads of water, provided 20 tanker trucks, established and operated a 24-hour call center that managed approximately 7,000 calls, and coordinated over 800 deliveries of water.
“What’s most amazing for me is to look back and reflect on how every single department in the county played a role in the effort,” Rowley noted.
Following the declaration of a local emergency by the Board of Supervisors, all government entities focused on responding to the crisis. Rowley emphasized the effectiveness of having all departments come together to plan the response.
“We had the expertise and the personnel to mount what was truly a massive logistical operation,” he stated. The county managed to source bottled water from as far away as Louisiana and Texas.
“We are able to get a little more creative and find vendors that maybe usually do business with the state, but that we could lean on during the crisis,” Rowley explained.
Ultimately, the county aimed to exceed initial estimates for water supply to ensure that it was readily available for residents at all times. "We had clear direction from county leadership in the beginning to make sure we were meeting the needs of the community,” Rowley added.
As the crisis recedes, Henrico County leaders are set to receive the results of an audit from a third party regarding the entire situation. Meanwhile, efforts continue to sign up residents for emergency notifications. More information can be found at Henrico Alert.
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