The James River in Richmond after a storm. (Sarah Vogelsong / Virginia Mercury)
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…