Hot or not: Water woes for students

Several students recently vocalized how they haven’t had hot water in their on-campus living spaces, and in other buildings and restrooms on campus.This complication poses a major issue for many students, disrupting their day-to-day lives.
Some students have reported the problem to RA’s, maintenance, and even the Housing Office, though the lack of resolutions have caused them to have strong feelings that they aren’t being heard. Totty Hall resident Noriyah Clark, a freshman computer science major, expressed, “I called maintenance and told my RAs but the problem isn’t getting fixed. I’m pretty sure this has been a problem for years and it’s still not resolved.”
Residents in Jones and Shade Hall have also said that they’re sometimes left with no other option but to take cold showers. In some cases, students have to remember to use the water at certain times to avoid this issue. According to Terren Blackwell, a sophomore psychology major says, “sometimes the water will be cold, but you just have to know when to take your showers.” Janiyah Williams, a Totty Hall resident commented on this, saying, “It gets a little bit warmer than usual if you take a shower between one and three in the morning. It won’t be hot, but it’ll be better.”
This issue has particularly affected the residents of Totty Hall, who have raised awareness on the lack of hot water since the fall semester of 2021. While the university often emphasizes the importance of cleanliness as a means of fighting the spread of the COVID-19 virus, students and staff not having access to warm water to clean their hands or themselves contradicts this.
”Students need to let hall directors know if they have an issue and report it to maintenance, there are many report orders and I stay on top of them as a matter of communication,” stated Ernest Bowman, Assistant Director of Maintenance and Facilities Services. He explained that inside the dormitories, there’s a mixing valve that sometimes takes longer than expected in order to produce hot water. Occasionally, this mixing valve goes out, and maintenance goes inside the wall to check out the issue. Bowman mentioned that to his knowledge, not many students have reported that they have issues with their hot water.
Students are urged by Maintenance and Facilities Services to continue to send in online housing maintenance requests when the hot water gives them complications. Students must be sure to submit the exact room number and problem when they do submit the report.