A lack of managerial training, delayed projects and communication issues were among the problems identified as part of the final report on an outage at Richmond’s Water Treatment Plant that left the region without running water for days.

The after-action assessment, developed by consulting firm HNTB and released last week, is the last revision to a report that was released in-development across multiple months, and previously identified an equipment malfunction during the outage that led to the plant flooding.

“I want to thank HNTB for their thorough investigation and comprehensive report," Mayor Danny Avula said in a statement on the report's release. "We are committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again, and I am grateful that the recommendations provided in this final assessment will put us on the right path."

Alongside previous findings on how a lack of preparation, staff training and communication worsened the crisis, the final report noted problems with mechanical systems and plant leadership.

Staff at the Water Treatment Plant interviewed for the report said that, along with limited preparation ahead of the winter storm that lead to the outage and mechanical failure, leaders did not discuss storm preparation with employees.

This oversight occurred despite multiple calls held before the storm held by city and state emergency departments. 

Miscommunication between members of City government and the Department of Public Utilities was another new insight. HNTB highlighted a message from an “unclear” source that the plant’s backup generator was restored following the outage, which spread across regional leadership and “likely caused a false sense of security” in the crisis’ early hours.

The Mayor’s Office also was unaware of the extent of the crisis until an afternoon briefing at 1 p.m., hours after the outage. The final report noted training and development for managers and supervisors also was lacking, alongside long delays in implementing planned capital projects. 

New recommendations from the final report include implementing seasonal risk assessments with all plant staff involved to identify potential risks and refresh knowledge of emergency procedures.

HNTB also advised a procedure to manually shut down the plant’s SCADA control system in the event of imminent failures, regular training for management and reviews of the plant organizational structure. 

An estimated $5 million is needed to cover total recovery costs. DPU Director Scott Morris said a re-evaluation of organizational, staffing and resource needs is underway, during a meeting with Richmond City Council on Monday.

Other changes based on HNTB’s recommendations also are in progress, according to Morris, with an eye toward clarity in the process for City officials.

“We’re going to add that additional layer of transparency, just so you can see that these activities are being done now and not in a back room,” Morris said.

A report from Hagerty Consulting on Richmond’s disaster planning and emergency response, including the water crisis, is expected to be completed by Friday, May 9.