Public water system · VA4760100
ActiveRichmond, City of
At a glance
City of Richmond (PWSID VA4760100) is an active community water system in Virginia. It reports serving 233,655 people through 83,254 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
233,655
Service connections
83,254
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Richmond compare with other water systems in Virginia?
By EPA's size categories, City of Richmond is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Across Virginia, the 2,420 active systems average 3,122 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Richmond is about 35 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Virginia has 844 active community water systems, 35% of the state's 2,420 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 110 Virginia systems (4.5%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Richmond?
EPA lists City of Richmond as owned by a local government. The VA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Does City of Richmond have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2021. The violations listed here began between January 1998 and September 2021. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting, 2 monitoring and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Lab Certification/Method Error (RTCR) · code 3D | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-07-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Benzenecode 2990 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | p-Dichlorobenzenecode 2969 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2380 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1,1-Trichloroethanecode 2981 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Styrenecode 2996 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Vinyl chloridecode 2976 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Richmond: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Richmond?
City of Richmond (PWSID VA4760100) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Richmond serve?
City of Richmond reports serving 233,655 people through 83,254 service connections in Virginia.
Where does City of Richmond get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Richmond have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2021. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Richmond's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2021. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VA state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Richmond's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Richmond must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Virginia
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County Water Authority | Fairfax | 1,121,613 | Community | Surface water |
| Virginia Beach, City of | — | 437,994 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Newport News, City of | — | 407,300 | Community | Surface water |
| Chesterfield Co Central Water System | Chesterfield | 389,897 | Community | Surface water |
| Loudoun Water - Central System | Loudoun | 334,808 | Community | Surface water |
| Henrico County Water System | Henrico | 330,000 | Community | Surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Richmond, City of, PWSID VA4760100, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/richmond-city-of-va4760100 (data as of October 1, 2026).