Richmond bringing in third auxiliary water pump after a primary pump fails overnight

Richmond's water treatment plant is down to three finishing pumps after one failed overnight on Monday night.

The plant also has two auxiliary pumps working, and has a third arriving soon to support operations.

The city said those pumps are now producing a volume of water greater than the average consumption for this time of year, and the reservoir remains at a normal operating height.

Still, the development represents a setback as the plant's pumps have proven hard to bring back online. Officials said last week there are eight pumps at the plant, and now more than a week after the water crisis, just three of those are currently functioning.

In a Tuesday night update, officials also said that a new UPS battery backup system has been successfully installed and tested.

The update continued: "The additional personnel (city staff, contractors, and outside experts), resources, and equipment deployed to the water plant heading into last weekend remain on-site. And the new processes and protocols that have been implemented to closely monitor water system function and staff expectations are being followed."