Emory University’s Atlanta and Clairmont campuses are experiencing water pressure issues and water shut-offs in some buildings after main breaks on nearby Clifton and Oxford roads.
Due to the damage, water pressure will be affected throughout campus, according to an email this evening from the University’s Housing Operations office to all Atlanta residential students.
Emory Housing said that although water on campus may be discolored, it is still safe to drink. The University is offering water dispensers for students to access in the Emory Student Center (ESC), Hopkins Hall lobby, Woodruff Residential Center and in the Student Activity and Academic Center (SAAC) on the University’s Clairmont campus.
DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management is working to fix the issue, according to Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond.
In an email to the Wheel at 8:49 p.m., EPD Communications Director Morieka Johnson (94C) wrote that the University has no further updates at this time.
The Robert W. Woodruff library announced shortly before 9 p.m. over the intercom that the building was closing early. The library is open for 24 hours most days and typically hosts about 500 to 600 students on weeknights, according to Emory Libraries Special Operations and Access Assistant Laurel Fox.
Fox, who helped lead the library evacuation effort, said that a pipe in the second floor of the male bathroom broke, prompting the library to shut down. While Fox did not yet have specific details about the incident, she said it is likely that the library issues are connected to the water main break referenced in Housing Operations’ email.
Hundreds of studying students proceeded to leave the library, with many turning to the ESC and their dorms for the rest of the night.
Arden Chan (22Ox, 24C), who was walking through Asbury Circle from the library shortly after the evacuation notice, said he and other students were in a meeting in the building before a staff member told them to evacuate. He added that the staff member did not provide a reason for the closure over the intercom, which Jery Villaman (24C) echoed.
Villaman, who lives in Clairmont Residential Center, also evacuated from the library before returning to Clairmont. He stopped at the SAAC to get a cup of water and said that he noticed the water refill stations were not working in the library a couple of hours before everyone evacuated. The bathrooms also closed sometime after he arrived to work on a project around 6:30 p.m.
Although Villaman said he had not gone back to his apartment yet and was able to shower earlier today at 4:30 p.m., some of his friends living in the Clairmont Tower apartments reported having “a lot of issues.”
Villaman expressed frustration that the University did not provide an explanation for why the library closed, adding that it was a “rush” as all students attempted to leave at the same time.
“A library should be a gathering spot for situations and crises like these, like come to the library to get water as opposed to just kicking everybody out,” Villaman said. “It was crazy. Everybody was just like, 'What the f****?’”
Fox said that the evacuation effort was done quickly to assure student safety during the pipe burst.
Multiple residence halls, including Eagle Hall and Harris Hall, do not currently have water, according to students living in each dorm. Harris resident Taylor Henderson (27C) said she tried washing her hands after using the bathroom, but no water came out when she turned on the faucet. When she went into the hallway, other students confirmed that they were facing the same issue.
Henderson explained that she is worried about Harris’ water being unavailable and the impact it might have on the dorm environment.
“People already have a problem with making sure they smell nice,” Henderson said. “I'm really concerned about how the hall is going to be smelling in the next five hours as people come back from the gym and their various places, tracking in their bacteria, especially during the time where everyone's getting sick with the weather change.”
Harris resident Darshini Podder (27C) said she was concerned because she had not showered all day and would have to go to Eagle Hall to shower. She added that a University staff member distributed water bottles to residents in Harris.
“They're doing what they can,” Podder said.
Villaman, however, said Emory could have done more to inform students on the issue.
“We can’t control the pipes but you can control how you relay the message about the pipes,” Villaman said.
Ilah Ross (27C) and Madi Olivier (25C) contributed to reporting.
