James Winfield is restocking the drink section at the Kroger in Carytown on Monday evening, taking in the scene around him.

The seltzer water he’s placing on the shelves is being restocked more often than usual, as it’s all that’s left after customers have already purchased the regular water options. The nearly empty racks stand in sharp contrast to the rest of the aisle and store.

“The last time I saw it this empty was during the pandemic,” he said.

Similar sights could be found in stores across the city, as Richmonders worked to adapt to living without running water for days. 

Monday afternoon saw the City of Richmond and the Virginia Department of Health issue a boil water advisory to residents, citing a power failure and flooding at the City’s water treatment plant due to the snowstorm that began Sunday evening.

As a result, Richmond residents were urged to conserve water where they could and boil it before use until further notice. The counties of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover, meanwhile, removed themselves from the Richmond water supply and switched to their own.

 Mayor Danny Avula provides an update on the city’s water treatment plant restoration efforts at a news conference Jan. 8, alongside city officials.
 

Richmond officials continued to stress the importance of limiting water usage throughout the week as repairs continued.

“There is a really important message around conservation,” Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said during a press conference Wednesday. “We cannot start the clock on testing our water until we have full pressure throughout the system.”

As of publication, Richmond’s boil advisory was expected to remain in place through Friday, according to Avula. Hanover County later issued a boil water advisory for residents east of Interstate 95, while an advisory was later issued by Henrico officials for county residents on Wednesday after declaring a local state of emergency Tuesday.

 Priscilla Wright with the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department distributes water to cars at Midtown Green on West Leigh Street on Jan. 7. City of Richmond Human Services partnered with the Richmond Sheriff’s Office and the American Red Cross to provide bottled water in high-priority areas.
 

In place of running water, officials across the Greater Richmond area set up distribution sites at libraries, community centers and other locations for the community to pick up bottled water for cooking, cleaning and other uses.

“Starting 2025 off with a water shortage was not on our bingo cards,” said Sami Ali, who was traveling from Pine Camp Community Center to other distribution sites in Richmond to find water. “However, we appreciate how the shortage has brought the community together.”

 Cars were turned away from Pine Camp Community Center on Old Brook Road after the water supply ran out. The site was one of 11 set up after a boil water advisory was issued following a winter storm-related outage. A truck soon delivered more water and a new line formed.

 James Thomas (front) and Collin Owen (back) of Richmond City Parks and Recreation unload cases of 10-year shelf-life emergency drinking water at Pine Camp Community Center Jan. 7.
 

 

For Richmond officials, the water crisis is the first major test of Avula’s administration, impacting not only local operations like schools and businesses but also state functions. The water issues led to hourlong delay to the start of the 2025 General Assembly session on Wednesday and a recess until Monday.

The National Guard stepped in to assist with water distribution in Richmond on Tuesday, with Gov. Glenn Youngkin announcing their involvement Wednesday.

Richmond has seen gains and setbacks since officials reported issues at the treatment plant, including an electric panel malfunction that delayed the restoration process. As of publication, five pumps and 15 filters in the city’s water treatment plant were active, producing up to 69 million gallons daily at press time.

While officials have sought to keep the public calm and informed about the situation, and promised after-action investigations and reports, questions remain about future risks.

Forecasts have predicted another snowstorm over the weekend, raising the possibility of further challenges in restoring water access. City officials emphasized that they are taking all necessary measures to prepare.

“We are doing everything we can to really accurately diagnose what happened, why did the power outage lead to flooding, and how do we avoid that from happening with this upcoming event,” Avula said. “That risk exists, our job is to mitigate that risk, and so we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”