Elevated fluoride levels at Richmond’s water treatment plant last week prompted Henrico and Hanover counties to test their water systems and publicly criticize the City for what they called a delayed and insufficient response.

Statements from Henrico and Hanover County on Monday revealed water supply testing had occurred in both localities after they were alerted by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management about the incident late Sunday night. Richmond officials contacted the counties about an hour after state officials.

“We are disappointed by the lack of timely communication from the City of Richmond, especially in light of the challenges faced during January’s water crisis,”

Hanover officials stated in a news release. In a statement released about an hour after Henrico and Hanover shared their water supply test results, Richmond officials attributed the problem to an issue that occurred during the installation of a new fluoride pump at the plant on Wednesday, April 23. For about five hours, the system experienced a temporary increase in fluoride levels to 2.67 milligrams per liter, above the optimal level of 0.7 but below 4.0, the highest level allowed in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Richmond officials said the drinking water produced during this period remained safe, and testing in Henrico and Hanover found fluoride levels of 1.19 and 1.6 parts per million, respectively. 

In addition to notifying counties of the incident four days after the incident occurred, Richmond officials also failed to alert the Virginia Department of Health about the incident within the required 24-hour period.

“I’m disappointed with our failure to communicate,” Mayor Danny Avula stated in the city’s press release. “This incident damages the work we’re doing to rebuild trust — not only with the residents of Richmond, but our communities, and our regional partners, including Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover. We must do better.”

Chesterfield County officials later confirmed the safety of their own water supply through independent testing following Richmond’s announcement. Officials in Henrico and Hanover counties, while criticizing Richmond’s lack of communication, also renewed calls for increased oversight of regional water systems and a greater role in their management.

“This episode, which comes on the heels of the city’s water service disruptions of January, shows once again that the region’s localities need to play a more prominent role in the delivery of drinking water to their customers,” Henrico officials wrote.

On Tuesday, Richmond officials reported that fluoride levels throughout the city’s water distribution system were below 2.0 milligrams per liter, ranging from 0.60 to 1.5 milligrams per liter. The Virginia Department of Health was notified.