2013 Annual Floodwall Testing

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities will be performing its annual floodwall testing beginning Saturday, June 1 through Friday, June 7 at various times each day. During the testing at the Mayo Bridge, the bridge will be closed to traffic including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. While testing is ongoing, motorists will be detoured to adjoining streets. Barricades and signs will be posted.

DATES	LOCATION	HOURS	STREET CLOSED
Sat. June 1	Mayo Bridge @ Hull St.	7 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Hull St. northbound from Commerce Rd.
Sun. June 2	Mayo Bridge @ 14th St.	7 a.m. – 4 p.m.	S. 14th St. southbound @ Dock St.
Mon. June 3	Brander Street	9 – 11 a.m.	Brander St. entrance at Wastewater Treatment Plant & Ancarrow’s Boat Ramp
Tues. June 4	South 12th & E. Byrd St.	7 – 9 a.m.	E. Byrd St. between S. 12th St. & Virginia St.
Tues. June 4	Dock Street	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Dock Street from 18th to 21st
Wed. June 5	21st & Cary St. – Holocaust Museum	8 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Cary St. between S. 20th & S. 22nd St.
Fri. June 7	Goodes St. off Commerce Rd.	9 – 11 a.m.	Goode St. restricted to one lane @ CSX Railroad crossing

Flood wall FAQs

MetroCare Golf Classic 2013

It's Drinking Water Week!

The American Water Works Association and the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities kicked off Drinking Water Week 2013 today by asking, "What do you know about H2O?"

Throughout the week, DPU celebrated water by recognizing the essential role drinking water plays in our daily lives.

Richmond customers can find out more about their water resources and the process that delivers water to home and businesses in our community here. Learn about our water quality and ways you can protect local water sources from pollution.

After water enters a home, conditions in the home plumbing system can affect the water's quality. Here are some tips for maintaining water quality at home:

Clean faucets and aerators regularly.
Clean and disinfect sinks and drains regularly.
Keep drains clear and unclogged.
Use cold tap water for drinking and preparing food.
Replace old plumbing and installed certified lead free fixtures.
Flush cold water taps after household plumbing work or when the water hasn't been used for several days by letting it run for a few minutes.
Drain and flush your hot water heater annually.
Do not connect hoses or other devices intended for non-drinking purposes to household drinking water faucets. Don't let the kids drink from the hose.
Keep hazardous chemicals and unsanitary materials away from drinking water faucets.

Additional information about maintaining water quality at home is available at DrinkTap.org.

The Department of Public Utilities launched Drinking Water Week with a display and giveaways  outside the Department of Social Services at Marshall Plaza and at Southside Community Center, May 6.

Channel 8 on Mosquito Prevention

WRIC Richmond News and Weather -

Prevent Water Scalding

Having a water heater thermostat set too high not only keeps your gas or electric bill high, it can cause injury. The majority of water scalding accidents happen to the elderly and children under 5. Third degree burns can occur if you are exposed for as little as 6 seconds to 140 degree water. Even milder temperatures can do harm. It takes just 30 seconds to be burned by 130 degree water, and 5 minutes to 120 degree water.

You can be scalded if you fall into the bathtub, don’t test the water before you get in or place a child in, or the temperature changes while you are in the shower because someone else in the house turned on water. Children can burn themselves playing with the faucet.

The American Burn Association recommends 100 degrees as the safest temperature for bathing. Never exceed 120 degrees. Have a plumber check your water heater to ensure it is within the required temperature of 120 degrees. And if you live with small children or the elderly, consider having an anti-scald device installed in faucets and showerheads that will limit water flow to a trickle if it exceeds 120 degrees.

Water Heater Safety Tips

▲Hot water heaters should be properly sized for your house.

▲Extra thick insulation helps prevent radiant heat loss and saves energy and money.

▲ Water temperatures above 120 degrees F can cause scalding, especially on young children and the elderly.

▲ Sediment build-up can cause premature tank failure and excess cost on fuel bills. Flush hot water through drain valve at least once a year to remove sediment build-up.

▲ Hot water heaters require yearly maintenance to ensure proper operation. Test safety valve once a year.

▲ Keep at least 18 inches around the hot water heater clean and free of combustible and flammable material.

▲ When leaving for vacation, set hot water heater temperature to its lowest setting to save money and reduce the risk of problems while you’re away.

Fight Mosquitoes, Build a Bat House

Bats are the single most important controller of night-flying insects, including mosquitoes. A single brown bat can catch and eat up to 600 mosquitos an hour! And it's fun to watch bats flying around the yard catching bugs. So help prevent West Nile Virus by inviting some bats to police your yard.

You can attact bats to your yard by building them a house on a pole at least 15 feet high in a spot that receives sun most of the day. Bat houses installed on poles are easier for bats to locate, have greater occupancy rates and are chosen two and a half times more often than bat houses mounted in trees. Mama bats like very warm houses to raise their babies, so that's why a sunny location is important. Bat houses have open bottoms to prevent guano from accumulating. Avoid placing your bat house above windows, doors, decks or walkways because guano may accumulate on the ground underneath. A potted plant or tray under a bat house will collect bat guano for use as fertilizer. Use shallow trays or buckets with mesh over them to prevent baby bats who fall out of the bat house from being trapped inside.

Every spring, clean out your bat house and get it ready for summer

Afraid of bats? You shouldn't be. The story that they get stuck in your hair is not true. Bats can catch a mosquito flying in an erratic pattern through the air, so they're unlikely to accidentally collide with a human head.