10 a.m. update: More pumps come online as water restoration continues in Richmond

Water is gradually returning to Richmond residents as the city brings more filters and pumps online at its water plant.

As of Wednesday morning, Mayor Danny Avula said the plant has 13 of its 20 filters in operation, as well as two of its eight pumps. Avula said five additional pumps are expected to come online shortly.

The city is also working to install two "bypass pumps," which should further increase water pressure.

The Byrd Park Reservoir is currently filled to 7 feet. Avula said that 18 feet is the goal.

The city is encouraging residents to conserve water when it returns.

"We really need to continue to press the message of conservation," Avula said, adding that reaching 10 feet at the reservoir would be "a good marker" for the return of water.

As production ramps up, it will take time for water pressure to return to the system, and it will happen unevenly across the city.

The boil water advisory remains in effect. When water returns, sediment picked up from the system during the outage will be flushed out, creating water that may look cloudy at first.

"Once we get up to full pressure, we'll do our first round of testing," Avula said.

The mayor is hopeful testing can begin this afternoon, which means the boil water advisory would probably be lifted on Friday at the earliest, he said.

Fire hydrants in the city may be turned on today as a preemptive step to prevent against water main breaks, and is a scheduled part of the recovery process.

The state has deployed the National Guard to assist with the crisis locally. The Guard will bring trailers with water, in addition to scheduled water distribution points run by the city.

This has been a breaking news update. The Richmonder will continue to have updates throughout the day.