After Hopewell Water Plant Released Raw Sewage, State Officials Outline Health, Environmental Impact

By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

July 15, 2025

Public officials are advising locals to avoid the James River in Hopewell and Richmond, after a weekend water treatment plant malfunction released raw sewage into the waterway. They also said the region’s recent heavy rains play a part in pollution in the river but don’t expect long-term effects.

On Friday night, Hopewell’s water treatment lost power and deposited about a million gallons of raw sewage into the James River. The most affected areas were Gravely Run Creek and sections of the James from the Old City Point Waterfront Park in Hopewell downstream to the Berkley Plantation — areas local and state officials have advised people and pets to steer clear of for the time being.

“As long as there is no additional discharge, (Virginia Department of Health) expects to lift the advisory on Friday after the river system has time to flush out the sewage through dilution and degradation,” Brookie Crawford, risk communications manager with VDH, said Monday.

Crawford also recommended that people practice safe food handling if consuming fish they’ve caught and pointed to VDH’s fish consumption advisory dashboard. As of Monday afternoon, there was no fish consumption advisory in place near Hopewell.

A Hopewell communications worker also confirmed that a permanent repair at the plant is expected to be done by the end of the week.

WTVR first reported that faulty wiring at the water treatment plant had caused a power outage which led to the overflow. Residential sewage and drinking water were not affected, but untreated sewage flowed unabated into the James River during the incident. The plant was fully operational by Saturday, officials said.

The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the incident. They visited the facility on Saturday and will be working with the plant to find solutions to ensure another leak won’t happen again.

A DEQ spokesperson said the sewage that entered Gravelly Run and the James River would have mixed in the water, making it impossible to clean up. Bacteria will die off over the next several days.

The swim advisory area is not expected to be expanded as the sewage moves downstream; DEQ believes it will be diluted and degraded. Recent heavy rains have led to more turbulent waters, which can also help with the breakdown of the sewage. If the plant remains operational, the swim advisory is anticipated to be lifted on July 18.

There are no long-term effects expected to impact the waterways. However, DEQ and VDH stress that people should not drink any untreated water, should shower after swimming, and should avoid swimming for three days after any significant rain.

Meanwhile, heavy rain poses additional health risks around Richmond since the city uses a combined sewage overflow system. This means that heavy rains can allow a mix of stormwater runoff and sewage to become present in the river. Richmond has seen heavy rains most nights in recent weeks.

“Heavy rain picks up anything it comes in contact with, including germs from overflowing sewage, polluted storm water, and runoff from land,” Crawford said.

If a river or lake has a green film, a chemical odor, appears cloudier than usual or has multiple dead fish, Crawford said it’s best not to get in.

State lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully for years to earmark $50 million in the state budget to overhaul the system, though it survived negotiations earlier this year.

Region’s previous water woes

Hopewell’s water treatment incident is the latest central Virginia municipal water issue this year. Richmond faced two water boil advisories in January and May as its water treatment plant also faced a power outage, and later, filter clogs.

Richmond issues boil water advisory after storm disrupts water system

Richmond residents were without safe drinking water for nearly a week in early January following a power failure that signaled overdue maintenance repairs for the plant’s infrastructure. Residents in Richmond and Henrico County had to boil their water before consuming it, while those without pressure took advantage of a recent snowfall to melt and boil snow for use. Some residents also sought out natural springs in the area. The state penalized the city for the crisis.

By April, the installation of a new pump led to increased fluoride levels in local drinking water, but officials said it was still safe for consumption. Then in May, clogged filters prompted a water boil advisory for parts of the city and requests for conservation in others.

In late June, officials from Richmond and Henrico County, which taps into part of Richmond’s water, held a water summit to dissect what went wrong and brainstorm plans for future collaboration on water infrastructure.

This story was originally published by Virginia Mercury. For more stories from the Virginia Mercury, visit Virginia Mercury.com.