UPDATED: 11:50 a.m.
The water is out in parts of campus. The sinks in the west half EMU hiss when turned on and the toilets try to flush with air.
And at this point no one seems to know why, or even how extensive the outages are. But, Facilities Services office specialist Pauline Conaway said, a crew has entered the web of tunnels underneath campus hunting for anything that might give some clues as to where the water has gone.
Both the west side of the EMU and the Knight Library are operating without the use of running water.
The residence halls have not been affected, but there is low water pressure in Condon, Chapman, Johnson, Fenton, Allen Friendly and PLC halls. There is also low pressure in part of the Art Museum and in portions of Lawrence Hall.
Administrators still are unsure of why this is happening. The low pressure in the EMU forced food services to close earlier.
They don’t believe there are any problems off campus. They haven’t found any standing water.
Water in the east half of the EMU appears to be working, but in the western half – where all the restaurants are – the taps are bone dry.
EMU Food Services Director John Costello said that the restaurants – which are currently open and serving food – have a small reserve of water, but if the water isn’t back soon they’ll have to shut down.
The water is on in Oregon Hall, off in the Knight Library and running low at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Originally, Facilities Services said it might be a problem with the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB)’s fault and EWEB said the University controls its own water mains and Facilities Services should be taking care of it. But EWEB and Facilities Services are now working together to get things working again.
Chuck Bodine, EWEB’s water distribution supervisor, said that EWEB’s systems show the no problems with the reservoirs or pump stations. The problem is with the University, he said.
The University has miles of underground water pipes that are almost entirely under the control of Facilities Services.
Bodine said he has some familiarity with the University’s piping system and he expressed some concern that water is out in the EMU because it’s the center of for the University’s water distribution.
Details at this point as to why the water is out is still sketchy.
“We know absolutely nothing,” said Facilities Services office specialist Pauline Conaway.
Bodine speculated that the problem might have something to do with the construction on campus.
“Maybe someone’s messin’ with the valve,” he said. “I don’t know.”