HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- As Central Virginia grapples with a widespread, ongoing water crisis, residents in Hanover County are demanding clarity on how the outage occurred and what steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again. For some residents east of Interstate 95, water service began returning late Thursday, Jan. 9, days after a storm-induced outage left thousands without access to clean water. While the immediate crisis appears resolved, frustration lingers among locals, particularly over Hanover’s partial reliance on Richmond's reservoir for water. ALL COVERAGE: Richmond Area Water Crisis At the height of the outage, between 16,000 and 17,000 Hanover residents were without water. County officials now report that water service has been fully restored, though a boil water advisory remains in effect for some areas. This comes after the county reported low water pressures on Tuesday, Jan. 7 due to a malfunction at Richmond’s water reservoir system and issued a boil water advisory for parts of the county in response. In response to the crisis, Hanover conducted its first round of water testing on Thursday, with a second round scheduled for Friday. If both tests meet safety standards, officials say the boil water advisory could be lifted by Saturday. "Emergencies will happen -- our response needs to get better and we need to make sure our infrastructure gets checked and maintained," said Yael Levin, a Hanover resident. PREVIOUS: ‘It’s our lifeline,’ Hanover residents line up for water distribution, frustrated at lack of communication One of the key revelations during the crisis was the extent to which Hanover depends on Richmond for its water supply. Approximately 80% of the county’s water comes from Richmond, according to Hanover Public Utilities. Many residents were surprised to learn about this reliance, with some questioning the county’s long-term planning and resilience. "It's unacceptable and needs to be fixed," said Carly Dykema, another resident. "And now that us residents in Hanover County are aware of it, we need to demand our own water source." County officials acknowledge the need for improvement. Matt Longshore, Director of Hanover Public Utilities, said the county is actively evaluating future water sources as part of its 25-year plan, which is updated annually. However, this plan does not necessarily include building a standalone water treatment plant or reservoir. Even if they did, Richmond’s water supply would still function as a backup source. MORE: ‘This should not have happened,’ Chief state agency to investigate how Richmond water crisis unfolded The storm that triggered the outage exposed vulnerabilities in the county’s infrastructure, prompting calls for greater investment and contingency planning. Residents and officials alike have noted that water — an essential service — should not be disrupted for days due to a storm. “You can live without electricity, but not water,” Levin said. While the immediate crisis may be nearing its conclusion, the event has raised broader concerns about infrastructure resilience and the county's ability to ensure reliable access to water in the face of future challenges.