Richmond Mayor Danny Avula on Thursday afternoon said that “delayed maintenance” of the sedimentation basins in the city’s water treatment plant contributed to the filter clogs that caused Richmond’s second water crisis.

Scott Morris, director of the city’s Department of Public Utilities, said a buildup of alum sludge on plates in the basin was the primary factor. Alum sludge is a byproduct of the drinking water purification process. State

Search finds 742 bodies under Confederate marker in Richmond

SAMUEL B. PARKER Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Normally, they’re doing [the cleaning] on an on-demand basis,” Morris said. But in light of this week’s events, he said the cleanings would now be treated as a “preventive maintenance item” and completed every four weeks.

Morris also said the f

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