Latest news with #DepartmentofPublicUtilities
Axios
24-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Audit finds $5M in dubious Richmond credit card spending
The city of Richmond approved roughly $5 million in questionable purchases on employee credit cards over two years due to lax oversight, according to a just-released internal audit. Why it matters: That's roughly a quarter of all spending in the period through the city's Purchasing Card (P-Card) Program. The big picture: City auditor Riad Ali's report, published Tuesday, found "significant weaknesses" in the internal review process and general oversight of the P-Card program, which was started in 2018. That lack of oversight, coupled with "unclear policies, inadequate training and inconsistent enforcement," resulted in dozens of questionable purchases between July 2022 and May 2024, and the potential abuse of taxpayer money. The audit recommended ways to improve the program and noted that the Avula administration is already addressing issues, including by reducing the number of city-issued P-Cards from 320 to 67 in April. Zoom in: Here are some of the audit's most stunning findings. 😓 One city employee was responsible for approving more than 40,000 transactions in the two-year period, which led to "minimal review" due to competing job responsibilities. 👀 The city delayed deactivating cards of employees who stopped working there, and in some cases, former workers used their cards months later. 📱 Multiple departments spent around $2.4 million via third-party platforms, like PayPal and Venmo. 👔 One employee purchased a $480 suit to wear to court. 🍤 And our personal favorite: Of the $78,785 in "questionable food purchases" in the review, $19,648 was spent by the Department of Public Utilities on "large quantities" of food, "including ribs, turkey wings, ham, shrimp, and salmon," per the audit. The majority of those purchases were made by one employee at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. What we're watching: The city launched an online tracker last week so the public can follow along as it overhauls the P-Card program.
Time Business News
20-06-2025
- Health
- Time Business News
Water Richmond VA: Everything You Need to Know About Your Local Water Supply and Services
Clean, reliable water is essential for everyday life—from drinking and cooking to cleaning and hygiene. For residents and businesses in the Virginia capital, water Richmond VA is a vital public service managed by professionals who ensure safety, efficiency, and sustainability every day. Whether you're new to the area, a long-time homeowner, or a business owner wanting better service knowledge, understanding how water services work in Richmond will help you stay informed and prepared. In this complete guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about water Richmond VA, including water quality, service options, billing, infrastructure, and conservation. You'll learn how your water is treated, where it comes from, and what you can do to make the most of this essential utility. Richmond's water system is managed by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which serves over 200,000 people across the city and nearby counties. The department treats and distributes millions of gallons of water each day, drawn mainly from the James River—a trusted, natural water source. Key features of the water Richmond VA system include: Over 1,200 miles of underground water pipes State-of-the-art treatment facility capable of processing 132 million gallons daily Constant quality monitoring to meet federal and state standards Integrated service for water, wastewater, and stormwater management This extensive infrastructure ensures residents receive safe, clean water for every use, whether at home, at school, or in businesses across the region. The primary source of water Richmond VA is the James River, one of Virginia's most important waterways. After collection, raw water is sent to the Richmond Water Treatment Plant, where it undergoes an advanced purification process. Steps in the treatment process include: Coagulation and flocculation : Adding chemicals that bind impurities together : Adding chemicals that bind impurities together Sedimentation : Allowing larger particles to settle : Allowing larger particles to settle Filtration : Removing smaller contaminants through sand and carbon filters : Removing smaller contaminants through sand and carbon filters Disinfection : Using chlorine and UV light to kill bacteria and viruses : Using chlorine and UV light to kill bacteria and viruses Fluoridation: Adding fluoride to promote dental health After treatment, water is pumped through a pressurized system of pipes, towers, and reservoirs to homes and businesses across the city. Yes, the water Richmond VA residents receive is safe to drink and consistently meets or exceeds EPA and state safety standards. The city's DPU conducts thousands of tests every year to check for contaminants, including lead, copper, chlorine byproducts, bacteria, nitrates, and pesticides. Each year, the city releases a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) that outlines: Water sources and treatment methods Detected levels of contaminants (if any) Regulatory compliance with health standards Educational information for residents This report is available on the city's official utilities website and can be mailed to customers upon request. If you ever notice discoloration, odor, or taste changes in your tap water, it's recommended to call the DPU for an inspection. Setting up your water Richmond VA service is quick and simple. If you're moving into a new home or business, you'll need to contact Richmond DPU through their online portal, phone, or in-person customer service center. To start service, have the following ready: Your full name and contact information Address of the property Date you want service to begin Lease agreement or property deed (if applicable) Government-issued ID Possible deposit for first-time accounts Once your information is processed, the water service will be activated by your requested date. If you're transferring service within Richmond, the process is even faster. The water Richmond VA billing system uses a tiered structure to encourage conservation and manage costs. This means the more water you use, the more you pay per gallon. Monthly bills include charges for water usage, sewer treatment, and stormwater management. Here's a simple breakdown of how typical charges appear: Usage Tier (CCF per month) Water Rate (per CCF) Sewer Rate (per CCF) Stormwater Fee (monthly) 0–6 CCF $3.21 $4.95 $7.00 7–20 CCF $3.75 $4.95 $7.00 21+ CCF $4.50 $4.95 $7.00 Note: 1 CCF = 748 gallons of water You can pay your bill online, by mail, through auto-draft, or in person at a designated payment location. The city also offers budget billing and payment plans for qualifying customers. If you experience a leak, pressure loss, or strange water color, it's important to report the problem quickly to the city. Water Richmond VA emergency services operate 24/7 to ensure your supply is never compromised. Common issues to report include: Leaking water meters Broken pipes or hydrants Unusual water odor or taste Discolored water from taps Sewer backups or flooding You can call Richmond's 311 helpline or visit the city's official utility website to submit a request for service. The water Richmond VA system is designed to deliver high-quality water efficiently, but conservation is still important. Using water wisely helps reduce your bill and supports long-term environmental sustainability. Top conservation tips include: Turn off faucets when brushing teeth or shaving Use dishwashers and laundry machines with full loads only Fix leaking faucets and toilets promptly Install low-flow showerheads and aerators Water your lawn during early morning hours to reduce evaporation The city occasionally offers rebates or conservation kits for residents, so be sure to check the DPU website for current programs. The public water Richmond VA utility offers several advantages compared to private water services: Regulated pricing for fairness and affordability Local accountability and transparency Public health-focused safety standards Fast response to emergencies or service issues Community reinvestment through infrastructure improvements Richmond's water system is one of the most trusted in the region, with decades of consistent service and customer satisfaction. The city of Richmond is investing in its water infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population and aging equipment. These upgrades ensure reliable service for future generations. Current and upcoming projects include: Lead service line replacements Smart meter installations Sewer overflow control enhancements Water main upgrades in older neighborhoods Sustainable rainwater management initiatives These investments show the city's commitment to maintaining a resilient and efficient water Richmond VA system for years to come. For all inquiries related to water Richmond VA, the Department of Public Utilities provides multiple contact options: Customer Service : (804) 646-4646 : (804) 646-4646 Emergency Repairs : (804) 646-7000 (24/7) : (804) 646-7000 (24/7) Website : : Mailing Address: City of Richmond DPU, 730 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219 You can also use the city's 311 system for non-emergency issues like billing questions, low pressure, or water quality concerns. The water Richmond VA utility offers more than just access to tap water—it provides peace of mind. With a high level of care, regular safety testing, responsive service, and a commitment to the community, Richmond's water system stands as a model of efficiency and public trust. Whether you're new to the area or just want to understand your water better, this guide should give you the knowledge you need to make smart, confident decisions. From starting service to saving water and managing your bill, water Richmond VA is designed to support you every step of the way. Reliable. Affordable. Safe. That's what you can expect when you turn on the tap in Richmond. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Newsweek
29-05-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
Boil Water Advisory in Place for Richmond, Virginia
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Multiple neighborhoods in Richmond, Virginia, have been told to boil any water they consume or use bottled water after the city's water treatment plant experienced an "operational issue." Richmond's Department of Public Utilities issued a Boil Water Advisory on Tuesday, and it remains in effect until at least midday Thursday. Why It Matters People throughout Richmond are affected by the advisory, which means they may be at risk of consuming contaminated water. They have been advised to buy bottled water or boil their tap water for at least a minute; this includes tap water used for dishwashing, cooking, or teeth brushing. People have also been advised to refrain from drinking from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings, and to avoid using ice made from contaminated water. What To Know The advisory applies to all residents served by the Ginter Park Tank, including Byrd Park, Brookland Park, Carver, Carytown, Chamberlayne, the Fan, Ginter Park, Jackson Ward, Laburnum Park, the Museum District, the North Side, Oregon Hill, Randolph, Scott's Addition, VCU's Monroe Park campus and parts of the city center. It was later expanded to include Ancarrow's Landing, Bellemeade, Blackwell, Commerce Road Industrial Area, Hillside Court, Davee Gardens, Manchester, Oak Grove and Windsor. City of Richmond map showing which neighborhoods are affected by the boil water advisory. City of Richmond map showing which neighborhoods are affected by the boil water advisory. City of Richmond The advisory was issued after the City's Water Treatment Plant experienced an operational issue in the early hours of Tuesday morning. "The filters reclogged after running at full production for over an hour," city officials said. "The resulting issue diminished pressure in the distribution system and has impacted the Ginter Park Tank." In an update issued on Wednesday morning, officials said that the city is "getting closer to the end" of the advisory, which can only be lifted after two water sample tests taken 16 hours apart show a negative result. The first water sample, taken at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, came back negative. The second water sample test was taken at around noon on Wednesday; results are expected early in the afternoon on Thursday. What People Are Saying Richmond Mayor Danny Avula, in a statement: "I'm encouraged that the first round of water sample results has come back with a negative result. Some parts of Richmond are still under a Boil Water Advisory as we await the second sample test, but this is very promising. We're hopeful for full clearance soon and are so grateful for everyone's patience and care." The City of Richmond's advisory: "The Boil Water Advisory was issued to protect public health due to low or no pressure in parts of the distribution system. The advisory will remain in effect for the impacted areas until two consecutive rounds of negative water sample tests." What Happens Next The city awaits the results of the second water sample test. Mayor Danny Avula said on Tuesday night that the earliest the advisory could be lifted would be midday Thursday, WTVR reported.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DPU chair: Gas system changes fit into guv's energy agenda
BOSTON (SHNS) – The state's top utility regulator appeared before lawmakers Wednesday to explain a major policy shift limiting how much gas companies can charge customers for pipe replacement projects, aligning with the governor's new push to rein in energy costs. Department of Public Utilities Chairman James Van Nostrand appeared before the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming one day after Gov. Maura Healey introduced legislation aimed at addressing consumer energy costs on Tuesday. The DPU's sweeping order on the Gas System Enhancement Plan (GSEP) program dovetails with that effort, Van Nostrand explained, following a winter of sky-high heating bills and with the state's focus on the transition to clean energy. 'In the last few months, we've been working with [the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs] to talk about where the cost savings, the things we're doing at the DPU, how that translates into that overall affordability agenda,' Van Nostrand told the committee. On April 30, the DPU issued an order reducing the maximum share of its annual revenue that gas utilities can recover from customers for work under the GSEP program, which was originally designed to accelerate the replacement of aging gas pipes. Van Nostrand said Wednesday that the program has been costing ratepayers too much. 'Our review has generally found that the utilities are not spending ratepayer funds wisely,' he said, adding that companies have 'over-relied on pipe replacement rather than repair or advanced leak technology, which can address the leak-prone pipe at a lower cost to customers.' Since 2015, GSEP-related capital spending has increased by 21% annually, while the number of miles of pipe remediated has increased by less than 3% per year, Van Nostrand said. In 2015, utilities spent $1.32 million per mile replaced; by 2025, the utilities' planned spending per mile is $3.46 million. 'Stating it a bit differently, miles replaced per $10 million has declined from 7.59 miles in 2015 to 2.89 miles in 2025,' the DPU chair told senators on the committee. 'We've concluded, in the order, that the absence of meaningful incentives to control costs was contributing to unnecessary spending.' Eversource, one of the largest energy companies in Massachusetts, says GSEP represents a small fraction of their customers' bills and was not a significant contributor to the recent winter gas spikes. Spokesperson William Hinkle said supply chain issues and inflation have driven cost increases for materials and construction since the pandemic began. 'This leak-prone, aging infrastructure requires thoughtful management to mitigate significant safety risks and environmental challenges posed by gas leaks, which contribute to both public safety hazards and greenhouse gas emissions,' Hinkle said. He continued, 'Through GSEP, we are proud of our significant efforts to safely replace over 900 miles of aging, leaky pipes and eliminate more than four thousand identified leaks across Massachusetts ultimately enhancing public safety for Massachusetts residents and effectively limiting the amount of methane gas, escaping into the atmosphere.' GSEP was never meant to be a safety program, Van Nostrand told lawmakers Wednesday. 'Our state and federal safety requirements remain rigorous and strictly enforced,' he said. 'In fact, we are proud that our pipeline safety division here at the DPU is considered to be one of the best in the nation.' Sen. Cindy Creem, who chairs the Senate committee and sponsored legislation reforming the GSEP program last session, asked Van Nostrand if he had an estimate of what taxpayers will save on their bills due to the GSEP reform. Under the new order, the allowable cap on recoverable GSEP spending will be reduced from 3% of a utility's revenue to 2.5% immediately, with further reductions scheduled — to 2% in 2026 and 1.5% in 2027. The 1.5% cap reflects the minimum threshold allowed by statute and aligns with the recommendations of a GSEP working group convened by the DPU in 2022 which filed recommendations on how to rein in the program. DPU had raised the cap from 1.5% to 3% in 2019. Van Nostrand told Creem that just reducing the revenue cap from 3% to 2.5% could create a 17% reduction in the GSEP charge on customers' bills, assuming the gas company is spending at the 3% annual cap. Sen. Michael Barrett, who chairs the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee which deals with climate and energy legislation, asked about the messaging around the new GSEP order, and how it fits into the governor's recently rolled out energy affordability legislation. 'Yesterday, the administration did have a press conference on energy affordability. There is a degree to which these very important cost-reduction steps being taken by the DPU are on a separate track. They haven't been factored into the cost savings that the administration seeks, and that I know the Legislature is going to be interested in seeking as well,' Barrett said. 'Your numbers, which are real numbers representing incredible work done by you and your staff, are outside that energy affordability conversation. And really, those numbers should be part of the conversation.' Van Nostrand replied that 'to some extent' the DPU's work is a part of the administration's broader affordability plan. The DPU is an agency within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, all under the governor's purview. 'We were part of these discussions with Undersecretary [of Energy Michael] Judge and EEA developing that whole proposal. And those savings, for example, reducing from 3% to 2.5%, that's a meaningful reduction right there,' he said. The governor's energy bill includes some measures that directly relate to the DPU, including an accountability-related section that authorizes the agency to audit the utilities and ban the use of ratepayer funds for costs not associated with providing energy to customers. And there is support elsewhere on Beacon Hill for legislative action related to GSEP. Mary Gardner, assistant attorney general in the Energy and Ratepayer Advocacy Division, said the attorney general's office supports a 'gradual step down' of the GSEP program to 0% — effectively ending it — by 2030. 'The unintended consequences of accelerated cost recovery through GSEP is too expensive for rate payers, and it's working against our progress towards the climate mandates,' Gardner said. The 2014 law that created GSEP set a statutory minimum of 1.5%, so any further reductions would require legislative action. John Buonopane, president of the New England Gas Workers Alliance, said gas workers were 'intentionally' not invited to the committee's hearing on the new GSEP order. 'It's disappointing that this Senate committee held a hearing on a natural gas safety program but intentionally left out the perspective of the men and women who work with leak prone pipe on a daily basis,' Buonopane said in a statement Wednesday. 'As we re-evaluate the energy transition, we need to take a pragmatic approach to the infrastructure that provides safe heat to most Massachusetts residents. That's not what we heard today.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would boost penalties for suspects who barricade themselves to avoid arrest
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recently introduced Ohio bill seeks to boost penalties for suspects who barricade themselves to avoid arrest. Senate Bill 188, introduced by Sen. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) in late April, would make it a crime in the state for individuals to barricade themselves to evade law enforcement. Barricading occurs when a suspect takes position in a location, such as a structure or vehicle, where police cannot readily reach them and refuses to follow orders. Columbus spent $95,000 on Department of Public Utilities rebrand, records show 'Curbing the rate of criminals who barricade themselves from law enforcement safeguards our peace officers from further harm and helps ensure the safety of our communities,' Patton said in a news release. The legislation specifically prohibits a person who is under arrest for a felony or violent misdemeanor from occupying a location that prevents immediate access by law enforcement and refusing to exit. The bill classifies doing so as a third-degree felony, which can carry a penalty of nine months to three years in prison, in addition to a possible $10,000 fine. The charge could be upgraded to a second-degree felony if the person who committed the offense created a risk of serious physical harm to any person, indicated to law enforcement that they were in possession of a deadly weapon, or if a third person was also unwillingly barricaded. If the third person present was a minor or elderly individual, the charge would be bumped up to a first-degree felony. For these escalated offenses, prison time would be mandatory. Offenders charged with a second-degree felony would serve a minimum of two years in prison and those charged with a first-degree felony would face a minimum sentence of three years. The bill would also make it a fourth-degree felony to assist a fleeing suspect in establishing a barricade. Ohioans get green light to collect signatures to get property tax issue on ballot Patton said the U.S. Marshals Service brought the issue to his attention. U.S. Marshal Pete Elliot called the bill a 'necessary step' in reducing barricade situations, as well as lowering the risk of harm to law enforcement officials and the community. 'Our officers of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force deal with barricaded subjects on a daily basis, greatly increasing the danger to themselves and to surrounding neighbors,' Elliot said in a statement. While there is currently no law in Ohio specifically banning people from barricading during a police encounter, it is illegal to flee and elude law enforcement. Doing so is a first-degree misdemeanor, which can be escalated to a fourth-degree or a third-degree felony depending on the prior crime committed and if the person posed a risk of serious physical harm to people or property. SB 188 was referred to the Judiciary Committee, where it awaits its first hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
