Richmond lifts boil advisory, water now safe to drink

Driving the news: City officials ended the advisory Thursday afternoon after two rounds of water samples tested negative for bacteria — the standard to declare the water safe to drink, per state health regulations.

The big picture: This is Richmond's third water-related issue in less than six months, spurring frustration among residents.

• The most recent one this week, prompted by a clog in the water plant's filters, led to nearly all areas north of the James River, and parts of South Richmond, being under a boil water advisory for about two days.
• It also led to Henrico and Hanover officials warning of a possible loss of water pressure during the advisory, since the counties are relying on their own water supply after disconnecting from Richmond's.

Catch up quick: The problem began Tuesday when the city's water plant filters got clogged due to unusually dirty or cloudy water.

• While they had initially resolved the issue, the plant filters reclogged again and impacted the Ginter Park tank that feeds The Fan, Museum District, Jackson Ward, Northside and more.

• It later affected a tank in South Richmond, prompting an expansion of the advisory later on Tuesday night.

What's next: The city's Department of Public Utilities director Scott Morris told City Council earlier this week that he expects to have answers on what went wrong this time.

• "It's not going to be three months out. It's weeks at most."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates