Several University of Maryland students are frustrated after a series of water main breaks across campus in recent weeks led to widespread water outages.
This university responded to nine water breaks between November and January compared to just three breaks between August and October, Facilities Management wrote in a statement to The Diamondback. Some students say the frequency of outages has led to inconveniences in accessing water and bathrooms.
This university usually experiences 10 to 25 underground water main breaks every year, according to the Facilities Management statement. In 2024, this university saw 24 water breaks after responding to 28 in 2023, the statement read.
Every water main break on campus leads to a water outage to allow crews to repair the pipe, according to Facilities Management.
Maura Kline’s dorm, Somerset Hall, experienced a water outage on Feb. 4, which was caused by a water main break near the architecture building.
The outage affected eight other dorms in the North Hill community, The Diamondback previously reported. Facilities Management resolved the outage the next morning.
Kline, a freshman biology major, said these issues shouldn’t exist, especially with how much students pay to attend this university.
“By the time we finally get back from class, the water is broken,” Kline said. “We’re just frustrated.”
[UPDATED: Water restored in North Hill community dorms]
Many water main breaks occur due to changes in temperature, soil conditions, ground movement and old infrastructure, Facilities Management’s statement said. Construction can also cause water main breaks, but the department said it works with contractors to lower the risk.
Initially, the Feb. 4 water outage only impacted five dorms — Wicomico, Worcester, Carroll, Caroline and Prince Frederick Halls — but a later Residential Facilities email said the outage would also affect Anne Arundel, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, and Dorchester halls.
Anya Olson, an Anne Arundel Hall resident, said outages are always inconvenient, but that the Feb. 4 outage was even more problematic because her dorm was initially not informed that their building would be affected.
“You always [have] to trek over to another building just to use the bathroom or brush your teeth,“ the sophomore environmental science and technology and public policy major said. “I can’t basically even live in this building because it currently has no water.”
Kline said she had to go to Stamp Student Union to access water and bathrooms after the water main break. She wishes that students were given better and closer alternatives to access water and bathrooms.
Elizabeth Luoma, a sophomore computer science major who lives in Anne Arundel Hall, said she used the bathrooms in South Campus Commons during the Feb. 4 water outage. While the walk was not very far, it was longer than their typical walk to the bathroom, Luoma explained.
[UPDATED: Hot and cold water restored in 4 UMD dorms after water main break]
In a statement to The Diamondback, the Department of Resident Life and Residential Facilities said they provide students with alternative access to water and bathrooms in nearby buildings during water outages.
In the recent outage affecting the North Hill community, students were given temporary access to Annapolis Hall and South Campus Commons buildings 5, 6 and 7 for 24-hour water and bathroom access, the statement added.
“[This university’s] Emergency Management Group works swiftly to minimize disruptions and ensure student safety,” the statement read.
Facilities Management said it uses several methods to prevent or quickly address water main breaks.
The department has replaced multiple old water mains over the last decade and uses a program called Moisture Watch, which helps with early leak detection, according to Facilities Management. The program helps increase response time speed, the statement said.
Facilities Management said investments in underwater valve maintenance and geographic information system locating of valves have also lessened the impacts of the breaks.
Luoma said she is not surprised by the number of water main breaks due to the aging campus. The infrastructure is prone to “break down and repair,” Luoma added.
Olson said despite Facilities Management’s structural improvements, the frequency of water main breaks is still frustrating with the .
“It’s not like we can rip out all of the old pipes, but I really feel like there has to be a better way to know what water is going where,” Olson said.
