By Michael Pedro
Tuesday, September 12, started out as a normal day at Western New England University. Classes were typical, and the weather was tolerable, a nice surprise after the week we had just experienced. However, the good things didn’t last, as sometime in the mid-afternoon, a water main in Springfield broke, presumably due to erosion caused by the immense floods experienced the day prior. Springfield wasn’t the only one affected, as the nearby town of Ludlow and parts of the nearby towns of East Longmeadow and Longmeadow were among those left without drinkable water. Around 5:00 P.M., Western New England University notified everyone of water issues in some buildings on campus, but only a half-hour later, it encompassed the entirety of campus. No buildings had running water. Soon, the water came back, and around 8:30 P.M., residents were given the “OK” to resume using the water as normal. However, not even two hours later, the city of Springfield announced a boil water order, meaning that the water was not safe to use without boiling.
This continued through the night, and on Wednesday morning, the order still had yet to be lifted. As the rain continued to pelt down on both the campus and the surrounding area, many began to wonder when the problems would be resolved. Thankfully, the storms and humidity came to a close Wednesday afternoon, giving the city of Springfield ample time to repair the water main. Early on Thursday morning, the ‘OK” was given to resume water usage as normal.
While many people who were able to return home to clean water did, the water issue posed several problems for people who weren’t able to return home to that luxury. “It was definitely difficult for students who couldn’t leave campus, because they don’t have a car or live far away,” Amanda Madison, class of 2024, noted. “Now, the water’s back and life (on campus) is a lot easier now.”
