On October 17, 2025, the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) found an equipment failure that affected utility meter reading data for fewer than 5,000 customers in the Southside area. DPU delayed billing for these customers to avoid sending incorrect bills.
After a two-week review, DPU stated that affected customers will receive one corrected bill for both the previous and current billing periods. The combined bill will include base fees for only one month. This will reduce charges by about $40 for water and wastewater customers, and about $50 for those with water, wastewater, and gas services. This is an average reduction of nearly 15%. No late fees will be charged.
Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II said the department aims to address such issues quickly. DPU Director Scott Morris said the department is working to upgrade meter reading technology, with new equipment to be tested and installed citywide soon…