Talking Points for Hopewell, VA Fuel Spill
March 3, 2015, 9 pm
Virginia American Water:
What happened?
Early Tuesday morning, Virginia American Water issued a mandatory
conservation notice for customers in the Hopewell area to reduce water
consumption due to a fuel spill in the Appomattox River, which resulted
in the shutdown of the company’s water treatment plant at approximately
12:30 a.m. It’s very important for customers to conserve water as much
as possible to make the remaining supplies last as long as possible.
This situation affects all of the approximately 9,400 customers who
receive drinking water from the treatment plant. Virginia American Water
is working closely with the Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality, Virginia Department of Health and a multi-agency response team
to resolve the issue and restore water service as quickly as possible.
When will water service be restored?
Some customers have experienced no water or low pressure as storage tank
levels decreased following the shutdown of the water treatment plant
early Tuesday morning. The plant has been restarted now that water
samples have confirmed that the fuel does not exist near the treatment
plant intake. We expect water service will be restored to customers
later tonight.
How does this affect my tap water?
Virginia American Water issued a
precautionary
boil water advisory
Tuesday night due to a loss of water
pressure in the distribution system. The boil water advisory is required
by the Virginia Department of Health due to the loss of pressure
associated with the plant shut down, and is being issued as part of the
process of restarting the treatment plant. Customers will receive
automated calls notifying them of the boil water advisory, and the full
text of the notice is posted on our website.
Who is affected by the boil water advisory?
The notice applies to all Virginia American Water customers in the City
of Hopewell as well as the subdivisions of New Birchett Estates, Cedar
Creek, and Cedar Creek West, Strattford Woods, and Mulberry Woods in
Prince George County.
Was the boil water advisory issued because the fuel spill entered the
water system?
No. Virginia American Water operators shut down the treatment plant
before any fuel entered the treatment process. Sampling has confirmed
that fuel doesn’t exist near the river intake or within the treatment
plant. However, because the plant wasn’t able to produce water for most
of the day, customer demand depleted the company’s storage tanks, and we
experienced a loss of water pressure in the distribution (pipeline)
system. As a precaution, the Virginia Department of Health requires that
a boil water advisory is issued whenever there’s a loss of pressure.
Under the boil water advisory, what actions should customers take?
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Boiled or bottled water
should be used for drinking, beverage and food preparation, and making
ice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Boiling is
the preferred method to assure that the tap water is safe to drink.
Bring all tap water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one (1) minute,
and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
Customers who are unable to boil their water, as an alternative method
of purification may use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The
bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and
scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%.
Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about ¼
teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and
allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use. Water purification
tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
For further safety measures, Virginia-American Water recommends the
following steps:
-
Throw away beverages and ice cubes if made with tap water,
-
Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking,
-
Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing,
-
Provide pets with boil water after cooling,
-
Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled
water; most of the home water filters will not provide adequate
protection from microorganisms,
-
Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.
How long will the boil water advisory last?
According to Virginia Department of Health guidelines, water samples
must be collected to test for bacteria in the distribution system. The
first samples are taken on the day when the issue has been corrected,
and then another set of samples are taken in the next 24 hours. Two
consecutive days of "clean" test results are required before VDH will
allow the advisory to be lifted. The process takes 24 hours for test
results to come back from the laboratory, so final lab results to lift
an advisory typically takes two days.
We will inform you when you no longer need to boil your water. However,
until all of our water samples have been collected and tested, we ask
that all customers continue to boil their water before consumption.
Where can we get water for drinking, cooking, sanitation, etc. until
the problem is corrected?
Bottled water and bulk water distribution sites have been established.
Bottled water is available at the Hopewell High School at 400 South Mesa
Drive. Tankers for bulk water are stationed at the Carter G Woodson
Middle School at 1000 Winston Churchill Drive. Residents will be limited
to one case of bottled water per carload at the high school. At the
middle school, residents will be limited to 10 gallons of bulk water and
are asked to provide their own containers.
This distribution will be available until 10 pm tonight and resume at 9
am in the morning.
Virginia American Water has procured several truckloads of bottled and
bulk water, and more will be arriving tonight and tomorrow.
For more information, you can call the City Public Information Office at
804-446-0282. Please do not call 911
What caused the fuel to enter the river?
The fuel apparently originated from a pumping station located at the
water treatment plant, however the cause of the fuel spill is under
investigation.
Language:
English
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March 3, 2015, 9 pm
Virginia American Water:
What happened?
Early Tuesday morning, Virginia American Water issued a mandatory conservation notice for customers in the Hopewell area to reduce water consumption due to a fuel spill in the Appomattox River, which resulted in the shutdown of the company’s water treatment plant at approximately 12:30 a.m. It’s very important for customers to conserve water as much as possible to make the remaining supplies last as long as possible.
This situation affects all of the approximately 9,400 customers who receive drinking water from the treatment plant. Virginia American Water is working closely with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Health and a multi-agency response team to resolve the issue and restore water service as quickly as possible.
When will water service be restored?
Some customers have experienced no water or low pressure as storage tank levels decreased following the shutdown of the water treatment plant early Tuesday morning. The plant has been restarted now that water samples have confirmed that the fuel does not exist near the treatment plant intake. We expect water service will be restored to customers later tonight.
How does this affect my tap water?
Virginia American Water issued a precautionary boil water advisory Tuesday night due to a loss of water pressure in the distribution system. The boil water advisory is required by the Virginia Department of Health due to the loss of pressure associated with the plant shut down, and is being issued as part of the process of restarting the treatment plant. Customers will receive automated calls notifying them of the boil water advisory, and the full text of the notice is posted on our website.
Who is affected by the boil water advisory?
The notice applies to all Virginia American Water customers in the City of Hopewell as well as the subdivisions of New Birchett Estates, Cedar Creek, and Cedar Creek West, Strattford Woods, and Mulberry Woods in Prince George County.
Was the boil water advisory issued because the fuel spill entered the water system?
No. Virginia American Water operators shut down the treatment plant before any fuel entered the treatment process. Sampling has confirmed that fuel doesn’t exist near the river intake or within the treatment plant. However, because the plant wasn’t able to produce water for most of the day, customer demand depleted the company’s storage tanks, and we experienced a loss of water pressure in the distribution (pipeline) system. As a precaution, the Virginia Department of Health requires that a boil water advisory is issued whenever there’s a loss of pressure.
Under the boil water advisory, what actions should customers take?
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, beverage and food preparation, and making ice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Boiling is the preferred method to assure that the tap water is safe to drink. Bring all tap water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one (1) minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
Customers who are unable to boil their water, as an alternative method of purification may use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%. Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about ¼ teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use. Water purification tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
For further safety measures, Virginia-American Water recommends the following steps:
- Throw away beverages and ice cubes if made with tap water,
- Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking,
- Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing,
- Provide pets with boil water after cooling,
- Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most of the home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms,
- Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.
How long will the boil water advisory last?
According to Virginia Department of Health guidelines, water samples must be collected to test for bacteria in the distribution system. The first samples are taken on the day when the issue has been corrected, and then another set of samples are taken in the next 24 hours. Two consecutive days of "clean" test results are required before VDH will allow the advisory to be lifted. The process takes 24 hours for test results to come back from the laboratory, so final lab results to lift an advisory typically takes two days.
We will inform you when you no longer need to boil your water. However, until all of our water samples have been collected and tested, we ask that all customers continue to boil their water before consumption.
Where can we get water for drinking, cooking, sanitation, etc. until the problem is corrected?
Bottled water and bulk water distribution sites have been established. Bottled water is available at the Hopewell High School at 400 South Mesa Drive. Tankers for bulk water are stationed at the Carter G Woodson Middle School at 1000 Winston Churchill Drive. Residents will be limited to one case of bottled water per carload at the high school. At the middle school, residents will be limited to 10 gallons of bulk water and are asked to provide their own containers.
This distribution will be available until 10 pm tonight and resume at 9 am in the morning.
Virginia American Water has procured several truckloads of bottled and bulk water, and more will be arriving tonight and tomorrow.
For more information, you can call the City Public Information Office at 804-446-0282. Please do not call 911
What caused the fuel to enter the river?
The fuel apparently originated from a pumping station located at the water treatment plant, however the cause of the fuel spill is under investigation.