RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU), in partnership with TY Lin, has been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington (ACEC/MW) with 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards for two major infrastructure projects: Mayo Island Park Design and Chimborazo Drop Shaft & Sewer Replacement.

The Mayo Island Park Design project supports the City’s vision for revitalized public park spaces. The Chimborazo Drop Shaft & Sewer Replacement project strengthens critical wastewater infrastructure and enhances system reliability that protects the James River and public health.
The awards were presented during the ACEC/MW 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards ceremony on Dec. 16, 2025, honoring projects that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement, innovation and collaboration.

Scott Morris, Director of the Department of Public Utilities remarks, “These projects show how engineering excellence translates into real world benefits for our community. These projects not only strengthen essential infrastructure systems, but also enhance the spaces Richmond residents use every day”
“These awards reflect the strength of our partnerships and the dedication of the teams working to improve Richmond’s infrastructure,” said Laura Bendernagel, Deputy Director, Senior, Engineering Services. “Both projects required thoughtful planning, technical expertise and close coordination, and we are proud to see that work recognized at the regional level.”

DPU extends its appreciation to TY Lin for its service and collaboration throughout the design and delivery of both projects. The Department also recognizes City of Richmond
DPU Project Managers Susan Hamilton and Howard Glenn, along with the broader DPU project team, for their leadership and commitment to excellence.
The City of Richmond DPU remains committed to delivering high-quality, resilient infrastructure projects that support public health, environmental stewardship and quality of life for Richmond residents.

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.

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities publishes weekly Street Work Activity Reports to provide visibility into active infrastructure work occurring across the city. These reports offer a snapshot of current projects and street impacts, organized by Council District, to support coordination, planning and public awareness.

Reports are updated weekly and reflect active work at the time of publication.

January 2026 Reports

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of January 12, 2026

December 2025 Reports 

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of December 29, 2025

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of December 22, 2025

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of December 15, 2025

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of December 8, 2025

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of December 1, 2025

November 2025 Reports

DPU Street Work Activity Report - Week of November 24, 2025

WHO:  City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (https://twitter.com/DPUStreetNews)  
 
WHAT: Hollywood Interceptor Sanitary Sewer Bypass Work

WHEN:  Monday, November 17 through February 2026, weather permitting from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm each day.

WHERE: 300 – 500 blocks of Tredegar Street

PROJECT SCOPE:  Wastewater Improvements

PROJECT IMPACTS: Starting Monday, November 17, crews began preparing traffic for wastewater improvements and repairs at the 300 - 500 blocks of Tredegar Street. The repair work will commence once this week and will take place from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm through February 2026. Traffic control measures will be in place as an eastbound lane closure has been implemented between Brown’s Island Way and S. 5th Street and will remain until the project is fully complete. 

Access will be provided throughout the work zone in the westbound lane only. Pedestrian access between Brown’s Island and the Belle Island Parking Lot will be provided as well as access to the American Civil War Museum. The James River boat ramp will remain open for emergency access only. This project is expected to be completed in three months, weather permitting and barring any other unforeseen circumstances.

For these and other utility related street closures follow us on Twitter @DPUStreetNews. For the most up to date information on utility work impacts in their area, citizens are encouraged to sign up for CivicReady to receive alerts.

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has announced a temporary pause on disconnections of gas and water services for nonpayment and a suspension of all late fees for the month of November. This proactive measure is being implemented to help ease the financial burden on residents impacted by the ongoing impacts of the federal government shutdown. 

The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps many households cover heating costs – including natural gas, is currently paused due to the shutdown. This interruption in funding has created financial uncertainty for customers who rely on the program during the colder months. 

The Department of Social Services (DSS) continues to accept applications for LIHEAP to prepare for when the program resumes. Residents are encouraged to apply before the Friday, November 14 deadline to ensure timely review once funding is reinstated. Review and approvals will occur when the temporary pause is lifted. During the 2024 heating season, LIHEAP funding assisted 1,227 DPU natural gas customers for a total of $550,757. 

Customers are also encouraged to take advantage of other permanent affordability programs, including:  

• PromisePay Payment Plans – DPU has teamed up with PromisePay to offer flexible and convenient payment plans for customers who have fallen behind on their utility bills. Any customer with an overdue balance can sign up for a PromisePay payment plan for their outstanding balance at Richmond.promise-pay.com. The PromisePay portal allows users to choose from a range of payment plan options, set up automatic payments and provide contact information for payment reminders and other account notifications via text message. 
• MetroCare Water Program – The water bill payment assistance program offers financial support to eligible families and individuals who are struggling to pay their primary water bills due to financial difficulties. To apply, ratepayers can receive up to $500 per applicant if approved. 
• MetroCare Heat Program – The Heating Bill Payment Assistance Program provides funds to eligible families and individuals who are struggling to pay their primary heating bills due to financial difficulties or other special hardships. The program period begins on December 15th. Residents within Richmond Gas Works' service territory may apply for funds through MetroCare.
• MetroCare Water Conservation Program – This program offers financial assistance to eligible homeowners for plumbing repairs and the replacement of water-inefficient appliances with EPA WaterSense products in order to conserve water and reduce wasteful consumption. The program includes an audit of all eligible homeowners approved by the Department of Energy as a way to improve water use efficiency. 
• SeniorCare Program – This program is designed to meet the specific needs of seniors aged 65 and above in the Richmond metropolitan community. Seniors can enroll in this program and access benefits such as Winter Service Assurance, no late fees, waiver of security deposit, annual weatherization kit giveaways and third-party notification.
• Equal Monthly Payment Plan – The EMPP budget plan spreads your annual gas bill over 12 months. The estimated monthly payment is based on the previous year’s natural gas usage. 

“DPU recognizes that many of our customers are affected by this disruption and may be facing financial hardship,” said Scott Morris, Senior Director of Public Utilities. “Our goal is to provide support and stability for our community while federal funding processes are temporarily on hold.”  

For more information, call (804) 646-4646 or visit rva.gov/public-utilities/billing and follow Richmond DPU on social media at @RichmondDPU. 

DPU is proactively correcting bills and reducing the average bill of impacted customers by nearly 15% 

Richmond, VA — On October 17, the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) identified an equipment failure that resulted in the corruption of utility meter reading data for less than 5,000 customers on Richmond’s Southside. DPU took swift action and immediately delayed billing to those impacted customers to prevent incorrect bills. After an extensive review of the data over the last two weeks, a single, correct bill will be issued to impacted customers reflecting both the previous and current billing period.

To help offset the inconvenience of this disruption to the billing cycle, the combined bill will only include base fees for one month — a reduction of about $40 – $50, or nearly15% for the average customer.

“Our goal is to deliver best in class service to our customers. That starts with consistent and reliable billing, but that doesn’t mean issues won’t arise. Service rises to elite status, when we proactively correct issues and our customers can have confidence that we will do what it takes to get it right,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. “This small adjustment is the first step in building that transparency and trust with our customers.”

What impacted customers need to know

• This month’s bills will reflect usage fees for both the previous and current billing cycle.
• This month‘s bill will reflect base fees for just one billing cycle — a reduction of about $40 for water and wastewater customers and about $50 for water, wastewater, and gas customers, or about 15% for the average customer.
• No late fees will be charged.

DPU is also enhancing its meter reading technology for the vehicles that collect utility meter data to improve reliability. That new equipment has been purchased and will be tested and installed over the next several weeks citywide. DPU is committed to serving our customers and ensuring billing accuracy, I am very appreciative to the staff that have worked tirelessly to resolved this as quickly as possible. DPU continues to enhance our billing and utility infrastructure citywide, all of our customers will continue to benefit from better, more efficient technology,” said DPU Director Scott Morris. 

For questions, customers may contact the DPU Customer Care Center at 804-646-4646 or dpucustserv@rva.gov.