The Virginia Department of Health does not believe that the city of Richmond is capable of ensuring its citizens have reliable access to clean water.

Richmond’s recent water crisis left residents scrambling for drinkable water for days after a winter storm knocked out power at the water treatment plant, triggering a backup system failure and major flooding.

Richmond City officials have hired an engineering firm to conduct an independent investigation of what led to the recent water crisis.

Earlier this month, dozens of local businesses were impacted by the widespread water crisis. City leaders are encouraging residents to go out and support local shops and restaurants starting Friday, Jan.

Richmond has contracted with two consulting firms to investigate both the water crisis and the city's emergency response to it. Why it matters: It's one step closer to residents finding out what really happened and why social media seemed to know about the water running out hours before officials informed the public.

The City of Richmond encourages residents to buy locally from businesses impacted by the water crisis earlier this month.

The City of Richmond could have prevented the crisis with better preparation, by verifying critical equipment was functional before the storm event, ensuring sufficient staffing was physically present at the WTP in the event of a power outage,