The City of Richmond, along with Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and Powhatan counties is lifting the call for voluntary water conservation measures, effective Tuesday, August 4. This decision is based on the current flows in the James River being above conservations triggers in accordance with Richmond’s James River Regional Flow Management Plan.  

Though the voluntary water conservation measures are currently lifted and flows in the James River are stable, water conservation should be an everyday practice for all residents and businesses. Conserving water is an important tool in reducing water demand. Water conservation tips can be found here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/drinking-water/office-of-drinking-water/water-conservation-tips/

We will continue to monitor conditions, and if conditions worsen the call for voluntary conservation measures will be reissued. 

The City of Richmond, along with Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and Powhatan counties remains in a voluntary water conservation status in support of the Commonwealth’s request for voluntary conservation. A decision to lift the call for voluntary conservation measures will be made next week, pending continued stable river flow conditions and rainfall as well as guidance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Drought Monitory Task Force. 

All residents are encouraged to continue complying with the region’s voluntary measures. 

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is providing the following updates related to its new billing system and customer service operations. 


DPU continues to verify customer accounts that have not yet received bills. Customers who have not seen their most recent bills should see them during their normal bill cycle going forward. Additionally, some customer payments remain unprocessed due to missing or incorrect account numbers on checks or other payment methods, or for various other reasons. These items require DPU to review the payment and to identify the correct corresponding account.  

Customers who believe they may have a billing issue or receiving an error or “validation” message when accessing MyHQ should contact DPU at 804-646-4646 during normal business hours or email dpucustserv@rva.gov. 

Customer Reminders  

As part of the new billing system:  

• All customers have been assigned new 10-digit account numbers.   

• Any customer using bill pay through a financial institution should update their account number with that institution to ensure correct processing. 

• Customers who pay through MyHQ do not need to update their account number.  

• A new online account lookup tool is available.   

The Department of Public Utilities remains committed to providing updates as additional progress is made and appreciates customers' continued patience as these improvements are completed. Progress thus far includes:  

• Call center wait times have decreased due to the addition of 15 customer service agents trained to complete requests for starting, stopping and transferring service. 

• Customers calling to start, stop or transfer service can now select Option 4 to be routed for direct assistance. 

• An additional 17 customer service agents will be onboarded in August.  

• Additional staff are working customer service tickets to address online inquiries to provide quicker turnaround times for customers. As a result, DPU has addressed 93 percent of the online account inquiries entered in June and July, the remaining 7 percent are actively being addressed. To avoid wait time, customers can send an email to dpucustserv@rva.gov for non-urgent requests.  

• MyHQ and EZ-PAY portals have been updated. Account and summary information has been corrected.  

• Bill formatting issues including adjustments and budget billing have been resolved with the exception of duplicate meter reads. This will be corrected in the next update.  

• Payment reminders have been updated and include a link to a payment portal.  

• Additional bill improvements related to how meter reads are displayed on bills will be implemented over the next two weeks.  

Customers can find the latest information, including how to locate their new account number, by visiting rva.gov/public-utilities/account update or by following DPU's official social media channels. 

DPU continues to work with partners Oracle and KUBRA to implement the new billing and customer service platform (Project Synergy) as well as address issues that have arisen since implementation earlier this year. 

Statement from the City of Richmond, Oracle, and KUBRA 

Project Synergy is a collaborative partnership between the City of Richmond, Oracle, and KUBRA to modernize the City's utility billing and customer service platform. As Project Synergy has been implemented over the past several months, some customers have experienced challenges with their utility billing. We understand how frustrating these issues have been, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through them. 

The City of Richmond, Oracle, and KUBRA remain committed to working together to enhance system performance, improve reliability, and provide the modern, dependable utility experience Richmond customers expect and deserve. 

 City of Richmond’s Commitment to Customers   

• Continue to expand customer service staffing to respond to customer inquiries more quickly, reduce wait times and provide the assistance our customers need.  

• Work jointly to identify, resolve and prevent issues as quickly as possible.  

• Strengthen billing validation and quality assurance to improve billing accuracy before bills are issued.  

• Provide resources to customers to help them understand their bills and resolution processes.  

As Project Synergy continues to mature, customers can expect:  

• A modern utility platform designed to provide more efficient, responsive and reliable service  

• Improved online account management and self-service tools.  

• More accurate and reliable utility billing  

• Faster processing of many customer service requests  

• Better coordination between customer service representatives and field service personnel  

We recognize the frustration these issues have caused our customers and we appreciate their continued patience. Our highest priority is restoring the level of service our customers expect. We appreciate the continued collaboration and expertise of Oracle and KUBRA as we work together to resolve these issues and strengthen our service for the long-term.   

Statements from Our Partners  

Oracle:    

Oracle is proud to partner with the City of Richmond and KUBRA on Project Synergy. We are working closely with City of Richmond post project go-live, supporting improvements, and helping deliver a reliable, modern customer service experience.

KUBRA: 

KUBRA values its partnership with the City of Richmond and Oracle on Project Synergy. As the project’s payment technology provider, KUBRA remains committed to supporting the City and Oracle in strengthening the payment experience for Richmond utility customers.

About The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater, stormwater and streetlight services to more than 500,000 customers in the Richmond metropolitan area. DPU is committed to safety, reliability and innovation in delivering essential utility services that support the city’s residents, businesses and environment.

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In the evening hours of Monday, July 29 the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities began receiving reports of discolored water. These occurrences were attributed to the return of the 36 inch water main back to service after isolating it over the July 4 weekend and not a water quality issue. Crews actively flushed hydrants to remove any sedimentation. Customers were also encouraged to flush their plumbing through their cold-water faucet. 

DPU continues to proactively monitor and is flushing hydrants in the areas around Stony Point/Cherokee/Custis Roads to improve water clarity. The water remains safe. DPU will remain onsite until flushing activities are no longer needed.

UPDATE (7/28, 8:40 p.m.): Crews continue flushing in the areas, adding Forest Hill Avenue.

Read here to learn more about discolored water.

Experiencing discolored water? This does not automatically mean water quality issues but could be the result of several factors. Two of the main sources are utility main disturbances and internal plumbing. 

When there is a water main break, system improvements and water main flushing activities, it is not uncommon for customers to see discolored water. A change in water pressure within the distribution system, often resulting from water main breaks, is also a common reason you may have discolored water. Sediments in pipes, trapped air in the system and natural minerals can lead to discoloration as well. 

Brown, red or yellow colored water usually contains an excess of iron/rust or manganese. If the discoloration appears across cold water faucets, a utility disturbance is likely the source. However, if it is isolated to hot water then the issue may be the water heater itself. Sediment and minerals build up at the bottom of the tank over time, which is why routine flushing is important. 

Green water is a sign that algae are present in the source water; river, lake or reservoirs that supply your water.

Blue water can occur if you use blue disinfectant in your toilet and your water supply was recently turned off. This could create a condition where water from the toilet tank is siphoned into the plumbing of your house.

Cloudy or white water is typically caused by trapped air, which is likely in cold water and can also come from construction and maintenance activities.

Most discolored water is safe to use for bathing and cleaning, but it may stain clothes or fixtures. Running the cold tap for several minutes can often flush out sediment. If discoloration continues, it is best to contact Richmond DPU at 804-646-4646 or you may also need to contact a plumber if it is related to home plumbing.

Customer Tips for After a Water Main Repair

• Starting on the lowest floor, slowly turn on each cold-water sink faucet, working your way to the highest floor.
• Once the water is clear (usually within 5 minutes), turn faucets off in the same order.
• Avoid flushing toilets or using tubs/showers until you’ve completed this process.
• The first time you use hot water, turn on the faucet slowly.

• Flush your refrigerator water line.

Still Seeing Discolored Water? Here’s What to Do...

1. Check Your Water

• Test your cold water once every 30 minutes by running one faucet for 1-2 minutes.
• If it’s still discolored, turn it off and check again in a half hour.
• In most cases, brown water clears within a few hours.

2. While You Wait

• Don’t let your water run continuously after the 2-minute test; it won’t clear faster.
• Avoid using hot water to keep sediment out of your water heater.
• Hold off on washing light-colored laundry to avoid discoloration of clothing. 

3. Once the Water Runs Clear

• Run all cold-water faucets for 1-2 minutes to flush your home’s plumbing.
• Clean faucet aerators if they’re clogged with sediment.
• If toilet water stays discolored, don’t worry; it may take longer to clear.
• If only your hot water is discolored, wait for sediment to settle, run hot water briefly or have your water heater flushed if needed.

Still seeing discolored water? Call 804-646-4646 to report discolored water. Your report helps crews identify affected areas and determine if additional hydrant flushing is needed.