RICHMOND, Va. — On January 6, a boil water notice issued by the City of Richmond greatly disrupted local businesses in the Carytown area. Kayla Warbley, an employee at Jalapeños Mexican Grill, shared the challenges faced as water service issues began around 1 p.m. on that day.

“It was first low water pressure, but then out completely,” said Warbley, explaining that the lack of service affected customer traffic significantly.

Warbley emphasized that missing ice and the inability to provide cold drinks turned potential customers away. “We don’t have any ice, so that’s a big thing when you’re trying to sell alcohol and people don’t have cold drinks. People are not coming in if they’re worried about what we’re cooking with the food and stuff like that,” she noted.

Following the city’s announcement of continuing efforts to restore water service on January 7, it was revealed that a power outage caused the initial disruption, which was exacerbated by a malfunction in the city’s water reservoir system.

During a press conference, Mayor Danny Avula remarked, “Once we resume water pressure, we will start testing different points” to ensure safety and compliance with water standards.