RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond city officials confirmed that the first round of water safety tests are free from harmful bacteria, bringing them one step closer to lifting the boil water advisory by Saturday afternoon. On Friday, Jan. 10, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said the city collected the first round of samples Thursday evening. Those samples went to a lab for 24 hours to check for bacterial growth and have come back negative. The second set of water samples are currently being tested. Two rounds of tests are required, 16 hours apart, to lift the advisory so people can have safe drinking water. Results from both tests must come back clean based on laboratory tests before that can happen.  If the second test comes back positive, they must start the sampling process all over again, ultimately pushing the timeline for safe drinking water even further. Avula spoke on being halfway toward ending the boil water advisory by Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. “Hopefully, we will receive more good news in the second test results and will be in the clear to move forward with lifting the Boil Water Advisory," said Avula. "For now, we’ve taken an important next step.”  Avula also discussed the additional steps his team has taken to prepare ahead of the snow set to start tonight to ensure this doesn't happen again. “Some contracted engineers will join us as well,” Avula said. “We've also had additional equipment that's been delivered and installed. A new battery backup, a backup battery that's come in, as well as additional repair parts that'll be onsite and additional filters if those are needed. We've instituted that supervisors do visual inspections of all the components of the operation.” Avula also addressed DPU Director April Bingham’s third absence in a row at press conferences. He said she’s making sure everything is operational at the water treatment in time for tomorrow.  For a timeline on testing, head to the Richmond city website.