UPDATE: Broken water line damages six rooms, leaves Westhampton without water

A pressurized water line between Westhampton Hall and South Court broke Monday night, causing water damage to six dorm rooms and leaving Westhampton Hall without water, University of Richmond Police Chief Dave McCoy wrote in an email to The Collegian.

"It was clear that a pressurized water line broke in front of Westhampton Hall under the Hill on the Keller Road side," McCoy wrote. The break caused flooding that moved a significant amount of dirt down the hill between Westhampton and South Court. 

Many students were unsure whether the leaking water contained excrement.

Contractors and facilities staff have located the break in the water line and anticipate that water will be returned to Westhampton Hall Tuesday evening, according to an email from Patrick Benner, director of residence life and undergraduate student housing. 

Benner sent an email to Westhampton residents around noon Tuesday updating them on the status of repairs. An earlier email, sent at 12:53 a.m. Tuesday morning, estimated that repairs would take at least 24 hours. Students were asked not to use their own bathrooms and were offered a list of bathrooms available to students in various other buildings, including The Web, South Court, Keller Hall and the Weinstein Center.

All six of the damaged rooms were in the basement of South Court. Three of the rooms were occupied and three were vacant, McCoy wrote.

McCoy estimated the incident affected around 157 students. 

The possibility for the ground to collapse under unstable soil also exists as a result of the break, McCoy wrote, which has led to much of the area being blocked off out of "an overabundance of caution."

"We have the appropriate resources in place and are working hard to fix the pipe," McCoy wrote.

Contact editor-in-chief Charlie Broaddus at charlie.broaddus@richmond.edu