Earlier this month, dozens of local businesses were impacted by the widespread water crisis. City leaders are encouraging residents to go out and support local shops and restaurants starting Friday, Jan.

Richmond’s recent water crisis left residents scrambling for drinkable water for days after a winter storm knocked out power at the water treatment plant, triggering a backup system failure and major flooding.

Richmond City officials have hired an engineering firm to conduct an independent investigation of what led to the recent water crisis.

Mayor Danny Avula and other city leaders hope water recovery week will be a way for residents and businesses to get support after being impacted by the water crisis, but owners and managers say it’s not enough.

The City of Richmond could have prevented the crisis with better preparation, by verifying critical equipment was functional before the storm event, ensuring sufficient staffing was physically present at the WTP in the event of a power outage,

The City of Richmond encourages residents to buy locally from businesses impacted by the water crisis earlier this month.