IMPORTANT Update on Water Outage

Ignore the warning below. The City’s DPU has pulled the advisory:

The Department of Public Utilities has determined it is not necessary to boil water following the Harrison-Cumberland water main break and widespread outages today. No data supports a mandatory boiled water notice.

Previously-

From City Department of Utilities:

Due to no or low pressure from the water main break at Cumberland and Harrison streets, Monday, Jan. 19 for some customers, those impacted are advised not to drink tap water without boiling it first. A lack of water pressure can cause backflow of water from contaminated sources, and as a precaution, this boil water notice is being issued.

We will add the boundaries of the impacted area as soon as that information is available.

City crews will be in the area flushing the water lines and samples will be collected for water quality. It will take 48 hours for the sample results from the laboratory and additional information will be provided at that time. If customers have questions, they are advised to call 311 for additional information. The Virginia Department of Health is also available to answer questions. You may contact Bennett Ragnauth or Moshen Shahramfar at 674-2880.

Boil your tap water. Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness. Do not drink tap water without boiling it first. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, beverage and food preparation, and making ice until further notice. 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 minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.

If you cannot boil your tap water, an alternative method of purification for residents that do not have gas or electricity available is to 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 percent. Public health officials recommend adding eight 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. Please share this information with all people who drink the impacted water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly.

Water Main Break At Cumberland and Harrison Causes Service Issues

From Times Dispatch article:

A 24-inch water main break shut down service to much of the city Monday morning and while pressure has been restored to most customers others may not get things flowing again until Tuesday morning.

Oregon Hill neighbors have reported having water pressure issues. It is unclear how much service has been restored.

Fences of Contention II

From the Times Dispatch (appearing after Fences of Contention, Part 1, and continuing disregard for citizen concerns):

Editor, Times-Dispatch:
I strongly disagree with portraying the costly Brown’s Island Way fences as a valid city commitment. Your news article, “$53K fence planned to keep homeless away from Richmond bridge,” had seven references to a commitment but apparently none of the insiders talked about the actual written agreement.
The agreement approved by City Council did not require the city to do construction. It required Gamble’s Hill to convey land to Dominion, Dominion then to construct a road, Dominion to then convey the completed road property to Venture Richmond, and Venture Richmond then to sell the property to the city. The city agreed to pay the purchase price.
The agreement did not require fences. It did not mention fences. It did say that it “…contains the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the matters set forth and may not be modified or amended except in a writing signed by the parties….” A prior understanding about fences was superseded by the final agreement.
The road is built. The city owns property. The deal is done. Why are fences being discussed now? Why are fences being discussed at all? Why is City Council letting this happen?
C. Wayne Taylor.
Richmond.

Richmond Magazine Profiles L’Opossum

Richmond Magazine’s Genevelyn Steele has a two page review of L’Opossum restaurant.

Excerpt:

L’Opossum has so much fun with its name, vittles and décor that you could just as easily call it LOLpossum.

With a classical menu of rabbit, baby chicken and foie gras that could incite a PETA protest, choices are playfully categorized by course — “Les Appetizers,” “Les Entrées” and “Lez Deezerts” — avoiding small plates entirely. We begin with tubby escargot on a ham biscuit. The snails need more salt, but the sweet, garlicky beurre blanc and house-made quick bread redeems. Another appetizer, Chapel Creek Oysters Rockefeller, divides the table; one loves the crème fraîche in the spinach filling, while another had her heart set on less cream. Agreeable to both is the fragrant tableside squirt of absinthe. A 1990s classic, grilled Caesar salad, resurfaces in eggy, white anchovy glory. We wipe the plate with our bread to get it all.

Belle Island Habitat Restoration Work On Saturday

The Richmond Tree Stewards have a volunteer event planned for this Saturday:

We will remove invasive species, mostly privet and Japanese honeysuckle. Tree stewards, trained in invasives removal, will demonstrate proper techniques. We will mulch disturbed soil and begin to replant native trees. This will be an on-going project to restore native habitat. We hope to educate about the benefits of bio-diversity and recruit more advocates to care for Belle Isle and other James River Parks.
….
Rain date is Sunday, January 18.

For more information and volunteer sign-up, please click here for their FaceBook event page.

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