Richmond, Virginia Water Quality: How Clean is the Watershed?

Where Does Richmond, Virginia’s Drinking Water Come From?

Richmond, Virginia’s drinking water comes from the James River — but that hasn’t always been the case. According to the city’s water quality report, Richmond’s water “came from numerous springs and an open stream flowing from the Capitol across Main Street” until a modern water treatment plant was built in 1924.

After several upgrades and expansions, the water system can now process as many as 132 million gallons of water per day, which is then distributed through 990 miles of pipes to residents of Richmond, as well as nearby counties including Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, and Henrico counties.

How Clean Is Richmond, VA’s Water Supply?

The most recent water quality report shows that Richmond, Virginia’s water quality is in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). But the James River watershed has had some water quality concerns over the years, so it’s only natural for Richmond residents to wonder how clean the water is when it comes out of their tap.

Industrial chemicals, pesticides, microorganisms, and even radioactive substances may be present in the water supply, as they are in many American water systems.

The DPU conducts almost 60,000 tests each year on 15,000 water samples to ensure that Richmond’s drinking water quality meets the standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.gov) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).

How Is Richmond’s Drinking Water Treated?

Richmond’s drinking water goes through a multi-step treatment process at the water treatment plant on the James River. These steps include:

• Coagulation, in which chemicals are added to the water to make unwanted particles stick together
• Flocculation, in which the water is stirred to create larger clumps of particles
• Sedimentation, in which those clumps settle to the bottom of the basin
• Filtration, in which the clumps are filtered out removed from the water

Richmond’s water utility also adds fluoride to the water for dental health, and other chemicals for disinfection and corrosion control. The DPU conducts frequent water testing and releases the results online and in an annual water quality report.

How Does Richmond, VA, Protect Its Water Sources?

The James River stretches over 300 miles from the Appalachian Mountains to empty in the Chesapeake Bay. As a surface water system, the water can pick up contaminants along the way. It can even be at risk of sewage overflows — which doesn’t affect the drinking water system in Richmond, but can pose health risks to swimmers.

RVAH20, a clean water initiative launched by the DPU, aims to address some of these water quality issues and protect the water supply. In particular, it’s developing “the first Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit in the Commonwealth of Virginia that integrates wastewater, stormwater, and a combined sewer system into one watershed management program.”

You can check out the city project map to find out more about dam rehabilitation and drainage improvement projects in the Richmond area.

Which Contaminants Are Found in Richmond’s Tap Water?

Richmond’s tap water is tested and treated to comply with the EPA’s safe drinking water guidelines — but that doesn’t mean every contaminant is removed. Richmond residents may want to test their tap water to check for some of the following contaminants.

Chromium-6 (Hexavalent)

Chromium-6 is a toxic chemical that’s found in many water systems across America. It gained notoriety in 1993 when Erin Brockovich publicized its health effects in Hinkley, California. These effects include cancer, liver damage, and reproductive issues.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit, Richmond’s tap water exceeds its public health recommendations for chromium-6 by 15 times:

• EPA maximum allowance: No legal limit
• EWG recommended maximum: 0.02 parts per billion (ppb)
• Richmond maximum contaminant level: 0.298 ppb

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

Haloacetic acids are a group of five chemicals (monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid) known as disinfection byproducts because they arise during the disinfection process.

According to the EWG, high levels of HAA5 can increase the risk of cancer and harm to fetal growth. Richmond’s water exceeds their recommended limit by 183 times:

• EPA maximum allowance: 60 ppb
• EWG recommended maximum: 0.1 ppb
• Richmond maximum contaminant level: 18.3 ppb

Haloacetic Acids (HAA9)

There are four additional haloacetic acids (bromochloroacetic acid, bromodichloroacetic acid, chlorodibromoacetic acid, and tribromoacetic acid) that form the group HAA9. The EPA doesn’t have a legal limit for HAA9, but the EWG recommends a maximum of 0.06 ppb. Richmond’s tap water exceeds this limit by 475 times:There are four additional haloacetic acids (bromochloroacetic acid, bromodichloroacetic acid, chlorodibromoacetic acid, and tribromoacetic acid) that form the group HAA9. The EPA doesn’t have a legal limit for HAA9, but the EWG recommends a maximum of 0.06 ppb. Richmond’s tap water exceeds this limit by 475 times:

• EPA maximum allowance: No legal limit
• EWG recommended maximum: 0.06 ppb
• Richmond maximum contaminant level: 28.5 ppb

Radium

Radium is an element that’s found naturally in some groundwater systems, but it can also be introduced by industrial activities like fracking. Since it’s radioactive, radium poses an increased risk of certain cancers when it’s found in drinking water.

Although Richmond’s radium levels are within the EPA’s limit of 5 picocuries per liter, that number is four times higher than the EWG’s recommendation:

• EPA maximum allowance: 5 pCi/L
• EWG recommended maximum: 0.05 pCi/L
• Richmond maximum detected level: 0.20 pCi/L

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Trihalomethanes are a group of disinfection byproducts that have been linked to cancer and other health effects when consumed consistently over time. The City of Richmond’s total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels are within the EPA’s allowance of 80 ppb, but they exceed the EWG’s more cautious recommendation by 187 times:

• EPA maximum allowance: 80 ppb
• EWG recommended maximum: 0.15 ppb
• Richmond maximum contaminant level: 28.0 ppb

Can Water Filters Improve Richmond, VA’s Water Quality?

Although learning about chemicals in your tap water can be concerning, the good news is that home water filters can remove or reduce many of these contaminants. The most effective solution is a whole home water filter, which filters all of the water coming into your home, but under-sink and refrigerator water filters can make a difference too.

The important thing is to choose the type of filter that’s designed to remove the specific contaminants in Richmond tap water. For example, activated carbon filters are great at removing disinfection byproducts and improving the taste of your drinking water.

If you’re more concerned about radium, on the other hand, you’ll want to consider a reverse osmosis or ion exchange system instead.

Enter your ZIP code here to get a water quality report for your specific neighborhood.

Does Richmond’s Tap Water Contain Lead?

According to Richmond’s Lead Free Water Program, “Richmond’s drinking water does not contain lead when it leaves the treatment plant.” However, it can still get into your tap water through lead pipes, service lines, and plumbing fixtures. It’s the property owner’s responsibility to replace any lead service lines on their property.

Since lead is harmful even in small quantities, it’s a good idea to test your tap water if your home was built before 1986 or contains brass fixtures.

The Richmond DPU tests for lead and copper at multiple locations, and uses corrosion control to reduce leaching from lead pipes. Still, they suggest flushing your pipes if you haven’t used them in a while, drinking and cooking with cold water when possible, and using a home water filter that’s certified to remove lead.

Does Richmond’s Tap Water Contain Fluoride?

Yes, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recommends that public water utilities maintain fluoride levels of 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L). This was reduced from a maximum of 1.2 mg/L in 2015 in order to “account for fluoride that is available from other sources such as toothpaste and mouthwash.”

This is within the EPA’s upper limit of 4.0 mg/L, and is intended to prevent tooth decay without any unwanted health effects. However, if you get sufficient fluoride from other sources, you can use a water filter to remove it from your tap water.

Do Water Filters Remove PFAS?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of chemicals associated with manufacturing consumer products, such as non-stick cookware. The VA Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), has been monitoring PFAS levels in the state, although there aren’t yet strict regulations on PFAS in drinking water.

If you’re concerned about PFAS in your tap water, you can use a home water filter to reduce your exposure with an activated carbon or reverse osmosis filter.

Ultraviolet (UV) light water treatment has also been shown to remove PFAS, and may be worth considering as part of a whole home water filtration system.

Is Richmond’s Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Richmond, Virginia’s tap water is safe to drink, according to the guidelines of the EPA and Virginia Department of Health. It doesn’t contain unsafe levels of bacteria like E. coli, and is unlikely to cause waterborne diseases in otherwise healthy people.

However, it may still contain PFAS, disinfection byproducts, and other contaminants found in the source water or picked up along the way.

Richmond residents can improve the taste and quality of their tap water with a home water filter. For example, the HomeWater EZChange 2-Stage Under Counter Water Filter is certified to reduce common contaminants like chlorine and lead and can be installed in just 15 minutes. Watch the video now to see how easy it is!