Virginia government grinds to a halt as hospitals, residents hit by colossal water plant failure

A water treatment plant failure has thrown North America’s oldest continuous lawmaking body into crisis this week, as lawmakers were effectively shut out of the Virginia State Capitol for safety reasons. Throughout the rest of Richmond, residents were dealing with a lack of water, and hospitals had to employ tanker trucks to provide the water needed not only to quench patients but also to provide heat and sanitization of medical implements, according to one state lawmaker.

The right-leaning group Virginia Project said the crisis may be the reason for the legislature to take an immediate interest in infrastructure funding before offering a Confederate-era suggestion: “Perhaps the waterless legislature should retreat to Appomattox,” a social media post from the group said, referring to the community about 100 miles southwest of the Capitol where the Richmond-based Confederate States of America surrendered to the Union in April 1865.

Others, like Virginia Republican Party chair Richard Anderson, placed blame on the recently-departed Democratic mayor who is now running for lieutenant governor. “[The crisis is] a direct result of inept leadership by former Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond–who presided over his city’s crumbling infrastructure,” Anderson said. “Stoney as LG? Never.”

The crisis hit less than one week after the current Democratic mayor, Dr. Danny Avula, took office. Avula, previously a pediatrician at Chippenham Hospital in neighboring Chesterfield County, said he has been hands-on since the water system first failed. Avula said he spent much of Tuesday night at the city plant and announced Wednesday morning that some of the pumps are beginning to come back online. He mentioned, “We’re starting to see that reservoir level fill up. It’s really encouraging. Right now the reservoir level is at 7ft for some context. [Our] reservoirs typically run at about 18ft.”

State Sen. Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg, the Senate GOP Caucus Chair, commended Avula for his tireless efforts to resolve the crisis and stated that he has never seen a legislative session begin in such chaos in his 21 years in the Capitol.

State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, told Fox News Digital that the water outage doubly affected his work, as both the Capitol and his district office in nearby Mechanicsville felt the effects. McDougle praised Gov. Glenn Youngkin for being extremely aggressive in trying to find solutions to the problem that was created in the city and for officials in suburban counties who were working to assist Richmond.

Schools in McDougle’s district were shut down Wednesday, and the legislature was gaveled out until Monday after concerns from leaders and staff that the fire-suppression system in the iconic Capitol could malfunction without enough water flow. McDougle remarked that while exercising caution is wise, Virginia’s spot as the oldest continuous legislature obviously predated utilities, and that the people’s work can and should be done in whatever way possible while the Capitol is out-of-order.

Another state lawmaker, Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, blamed Richmond’s longtime Democratic leadership for the crisis, stating that the city has been plagued by systemic neglect and a lack of accountability. Williams proposed a bill that would have allowed state agencies to study utility upgrades and provide engineering support.

Richmond businessowner Jimmy Keady echoed Williams, stating that the crisis isn’t just a failure of infrastructure but of past city leadership. He noted that businesses were forced to close, residents were left without clean water, and hourly workers lost wages. Keady highlighted the political implications as well, emphasizing that lawmakers are losing valuable time to pass legislation that will address growing problems throughout the commonwealth.

In remarks late Wednesday, Youngkin praised public and private partners around the capital region that have helped residents deal with the lack of water, from Avula to companies like Amazon and Publix. He commended the collaboration from the surrounding counties with the city of Richmond and the state resources for their inspiring efforts to address the crisis.

Overall, the water treatment plant failure in Virginia has brought attention to the critical need for infrastructure funding and the importance of maintaining essential services to ensure the well-being of residents and the efficient operation of the government.