Editor's note: VPM News has updated this explainer for the May 2025 outage.
As of May 28, the boil advisories in select Richmond neighborhoods remain in place.
As VPM News previously reported, each round of testing requires pulling multiple samples from multiple points across the entire distribution network. Once that is done, those samples are prepared and submitted to the lab to be placed in an incubator over 24 hours to see if there’s any bacterial growth.
The 16-hour/24-hour timeframe needed between tests is “not based on anything the lab does or doesn’t do,” Avula said in January. “It’s really based on what grows out, what bacteria may grow out, and if we have negative growth for enough hours that we can affirmatively say this is a negative test.”
Testing is ongoing in a city-run lab.
The Virginia Department of Health has time-limited requirements for testing and ending boil water advisories, and Richmond hasn't fulfilled all the steps yet to safely clear its tap water for consumption.
The water coming through Richmond's system is highly chlorinated and there’s a small risk that water from outside of the pipes gets into the system, which could let bacteria enter when the pressure in the system drops.
Dwayne Roadcap, director of the VDH’s Office of Drinking Water, told VPM News in early 2025 that water leaving the treatment plant fully complies with drinking water regulations and that it’s chlorinated.
“The testing is being done to make sure there aren’t any harmful pathogens in the water, like bacteria that could make people sick,” he said.
But the big question remains: Why has it been taking so long?
According to Virginia Department of Health guidelines, city officials first needs to have the water successfully test negative for contaminants twice — with each sample separated by a 16-hour period.
Read more: FAQ on boil water advisories from the Virginia Department of Health
The safety timeline
In order to lift the boil water advisory as quickly as possible, Richmond officials have undertaken steps to ensure the water’s safety.
The Do's and Don'ts
DO Boil tap water to a full rolling boil, let it boil for 1 minute and then allow it to cool before using it for eating, washing vegetables and fruits/food prep, mixing baby formula, feeding animals in your care.
DO use tap water for showers, baths or hand washing. Don't swallow it.
- VDH advises sponge bathing small children and infants.
DO Hand wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water. Add a tablespoon of household bleach such as Clorox to a sink full of warm tap water and soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least 1 minute.
- If you have a dishwasher, VDH guidance states "a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) or if it has a sanitizing cycle option, it is generally safe to use."
DON'T drink or use unboiled tap water.
DON'T Brush your teeth with unboiled tap water.
DON'T Cook, prep food and baby formula, feed your pets or make ice with unboiled tap water.
Read more: FAQ on boil water advisories from the Virginia Department of Health
Once the May 2025 advisory is lifted, flushing the pipes in your home may be necessary. Click here for an explainer on flushing your pipes after a boil advisory.
Too Long; didn’t read?
The Virginia Department of Health has time-limited requirements for testing and ending boil water advisories, and Richmond hasn't fulfilled all the steps yet to safely clear its tap water for consumption.
“It really is just a very conservative approach to make sure that we’re not putting people at risk,” Avula said.
The water coming through the system is highly chlorinated and there’s a small risk that water from outside of the pipes gets into the system, which could let bacteria enter when the pressure in the system drops.
Keyris Manzanares contributed reporting.
