Richmond has contracted with two consulting firms to investigate both the water crisis and the city's emergency response to it. Why it matters: It's one step closer to residents finding out what really happened and why social media seemed to know about the water running out hours before officials informed the public.

Past inspections cited Richmond water plant for deteriorating equipment Inspection reports obtained by CBS 6 revealed that Richmond's Department of Public Utilities has been previously cited for failures related to its emergency planning and deteriorating equipment.

For much of the first full week of 2025, residents of Virginia's capital city didn't have drinkable water coming out of their taps. Why it matters: So much information was coming out at different times from various sources it was hard to keep track of what actually happened in the moment.

How a meager snowstorm could cripple Richmond's water supply for six calendar days is still being investigated. Here's a timeline of how the events unfolded.

The City of Richmond, Hanover and Henrico counties report initial water tests found no harmful contaminants A second round of testing, 16 hours after the first, must now be done before the Boil Water Advisory can be lifted Henrico will close water distribution sites, showering facilities Friday at 8 p.m.

The City of Richmond could have prevented the crisis with better preparation, by verifying critical equipment was functional before the storm event, ensuring sufficient staffing was physically present at the WTP in the event of a power outage,