by James A. Bacon
Ordinarily, one would categorize a busted-water main story as routine news and forget about it the next day. But in the wake of the breakdown of the City of Richmond’s water treatment plant, which cut off water supplies for the better part of a week, the natural reaction is, what’s next? How deep does the rot run?
City crews responded to the break Saturday and repaired the break by early Sunday morning, according to WRIC News. Meanwhile, city officials have warned that water-main breaks will most likely increase as water service is restored to residences after last week’s breakdown and temperatures drop below freezing.
Read this detailed WRIC dive into the 2022 Environmental Protection Agency report on problems with water treatment plant. Even if you don’t read the whole thing, scan it for the photos. If the treatment plant, the centerpiece of the city water system, is in this bad a condition, just imagine what the outlying pipes, pumps and other facilities are like.
Then there’s this new wrinkle: Spencer Lindquist, an investigative reporter with The Daily Wire, has profiled April Bingham, director of the Department of Public Works, who was appointed in 2021 by none other than then-Mayor Levar Stoney, now a candidate for lieutenant governor. Bingham does not have an engineering degree like every other public-works chief in the Richmond metro, Lindquist writes.
Her qualifications: She is a woman — “the first woman to serve in this critically important role,” according to the press release announcing her promotion. She ran the department’s customer service wing. Oh, and she’s a big promoter of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Read Lindquist’s xeets here.
Bigham does have some relevant management experience (which Lindquist did not highlight). Prior to joining the city, she served in Washington, D.C., at the DC Water & Sewer Authority, where she oversaw the agency’s $33M meter-upgrade project as the deputy program manager. Stoney also cited her leadership in restructuring the customer service division “during the uncharted times and multiple challenges presented by the pandemic.”
There is no indication in the press release, however, that she possesses the technical knowledge that one would expect from a public works director. Her LinkedIn profile has been taken down.
I almost feel sorry for Bingham. She looks like a nice lady, and I expect she feels out of her depth. People certainly will suspect that’s the case. What’s more, the inadequate maintenance of water infrastructure long preceded her tenure on the job. She can’t be held responsible for years of under-investment.
But the 2022 EPA report landed on her desk, so there’s no way she can say she was unaware of the vulnerabilities. The big question, then, is whether she brought the report to the attention of her superiors in City Hall. If she didn’t, that was a monumental management failure. If she did, then attention needs to focus on those who ignored her warnings.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.