RICHMOND, Va — An operator at the Richmond water treatment plant knew about exceeding fluoride levels in the water several days before the issue was reported to regulators and regional stakeholders, according to a city spokesperson. Meanwhile, a state health official said Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities did not test samples of its water distribution system in the multiple days following the overflow of fluoride.
An installation of a new pump at the Richmond water treatment plant caused “increased” and “unknown” levels of fluoride to temporarily flow into the water system, according to officials, but it took five days until state authorities, city and county utility leaders, and the public learned about the incident.
Here’s what we’ve been able to learn about the timeline: …