Updated: Precautionary boil water advisory in effect for three campus buildings

Update: Jan. 22, 8:50 a.m.—The boil water advisory has been lifted.

Update: Jan. 19, 11:30 a.m.—Water was restored to East Hall, Spindler Hall and the Seelye Center shortly before midnight Friday, Jan. 18. WMU advises students, employees and visitors to campus that a precautionary boil water advisory is in effect for all three buildings until further notice. WMU officials in charge of the affected buildings are keeping residents and users of the buildings informed of developments as necessary.

Update: Jan. 18, 4:30 p.m.—Water to East Hall, Spindler Hall and the Seelye Center has again been turned off, due to a new water main break. The duration of the outage is not known at this time. When the water is turned back on, a precautionary boil water advisory will be back in effect for the three buildings over the weekend.

KALAMAZOO—Western Michigan University advises students, employees and visitors to campus that a precautionary boil water advisory from the city of Kalamazoo will affect three occupied buildings on campus over the weekend.

The advisory will be in effect for East Hall, the Seelye Center and Spindler Hall until further notice.

What you should and shouldn't do

This boil water advisory means that water taken from faucets, drinking fountains or any other source in those buildings should not be used for consumption. You should not drink it, brush your teeth with it or cook with it unless you boil the water for at least one minute.

Boiling is not necessary if the water is used for washing your hands, taking a shower, and doing laundry or house cleaning.

In East Hall, the Seelye Center and Spindler Hall, the water is scheduled to be turned off from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday due to repair of a water main leak on Oakland Drive. Once the water is turned back on, the boil water advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

Necessary resources are being provided

For the affected buildings' students, employees and visitors, University officials are:

• Providing ample bottled water.
• Posting informational signs on entry doors, drinking fountains and restrooms.
• Providing—during the water outage—alternative restroom facilities.

During the outage, Spindler Hall residents may use the Student Recreation Center's shower and toilet facilities while Seelye Center occupants may use the same facilities in the Brown Alumni Center. In addition, portable toilets are being stationed at both Spindler and East halls.

What buildings are affected

Early Jan. 17, city officials notified WMU that work to repair the leaking water main would result in a water outage for several campus buildings. The city issued a boil water advisory for occupants of those buildings around 1 p.m., and updated the affected-building list in a second advisory issued shortly before 4 p.m.

All but three campus buildings on the final list are vacant, or closed and not scheduled to reopen until after the boil water advisory expires.

As for the occupied buildings, some 80 students live in Spindler Hall. East Hall houses WMU's Archives and Regional History Collections and is open to the public. The Seelye Center is primarily used as a practice and exercise space for student-athletes and a venue for athletics-related activities such as sports camps.

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