College residents both on and off campus experienced discoloration in their tap water Tuesday and Wednesday due to a water main break on Hillsdale Street. Although college administration has not told students to avoid drinking the water, many in affected buildings have allowed the water to run until clear or boiled the water to a degree of clarity.
The Suites Co-House Director Casey McKee ’15 sent an email to residents informing them of the water break and advised students to be careful with the discolored water.
“I encourage you all to use discretion, when it comes to using the water in the Suites,” McKee said in the email. “If it looks questionable, I would suggest buying some bottled water instead.”
Mauck was “largely unaffected” by the issue, and the water cleared up for residents by the early afternoon, Mauck Student Director Deborah Stevenson said.
“Only one resident reported seeing any water discoloration,” Stevenson said in an email. “She said the water in her shower ran yellow starting Tuesday night and then brown Wednesday morning but cleared by the early afternoon.”
The water main break was fixed before 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to Environmental Health and Safety Manager Leah Martin, yet some students are still experiencing discolorations.
Sophomore Denton Williams, a resident of the Alpha Tau Omega house, first noticed the water Tuesday night but continued to see it until around 8 p.m. last night.
“Tuesday, when it happened, it was only yellow for a few minutes and then turned clear after I let it run, so I drank it,” Williams said. “This morning, it was really yellow from both faucets, and now it’s on and off.”
ATO residents were not advised about the water’s safety, but after drinking some from the tap, Williams said he felt no side effects and tasted no difference.
Junior Jada Bissett, a resident of the Kappa Kappa Gamma house, said she and her fellow residents were advised not to drink or shower until the water cleared, which happened around 5 p.m. at the Kappa house. Bissett said she and her sorority sisters were in good spirits, however, even though they were unable to shower.
“If anyone is wondering why the Kappas didn’t look like straight 10s today, it’s because we couldn’t shower!” Bissett said.
Whitley Head Resident Assistant Grace Hertz said one resident saw “dirty water” within the past 24 hours, and some residents of Benzing reported seeing yellow water.
The women of Pi Beta Phi reported an obvious color change in their water, to the point that maintenance came by to check up on the water.
“I got up yesterday morning, and by the time people were getting ready for their earliest classes, the water was running brown,” Pi Beta Phi President junior Rosie Ellison said. “Our water cleared up by 10:30 a.m., though.”
The water issue has affected students living off-campus, as well. Senior Anders Kiledal, a resident of 157 Hillsdale St., said his water was yellowish when he woke up Wednesday, though he didn’t immediately notice it.
“I was washing out my coffee pot, so I didn’t notice that the water was discolored,” Kiledal said. “Then, my roommate yelled to me about the water being brown. It didn’t clear up before I left for class.”
Residents in MacIntyre and Olds reported discolored water during the day yesterday, with a maintenance worker coming by Olds to check on the water.
Chi Omega, Sigma Chi, and Niedfeldt reported they have not experienced discoloration, and Benzing and Koon dorms reported mild discoloration that cleared up quickly. Other residential buildings on campus were unavailable for contact by the Collegian.
The Collegian was unable to reach members of the administration for comment.
