Students reported a large stream of brown water flowing down on 21st Avenue midday Nov. 11. According to an outage alert at 4:25 p.m. CST on the Metro Water Services Outage Map, the flooding was a result of an active water main break with repairs in progress on Peabody Lawn.
An email from Housing and Residential Experience to residents of North, West, East, Gillette and Memorial houses advised that they would experience water outages but service was expected to be restored overnight.
“Restrooms, sinks and drinking fountains are available for your use at The Commons Center, accessible 24/7 with your Commodore Card during the water outage,” the HRE email read. “Showers are available at the Recreation and Wellness Center, open until 11 p.m. tonight. Please bring a towel and toiletries.”
HRE also asked students to avoid doing laundry until the water service returns.
Sophomore and North House Resident Advisor Shreeya Moolamalla explained how the outage was inconvenient.
“It makes [us] have to live without basic needs, which can get in the way of day-to-day life for a Vandy student,” Moolamalla said. “However, I understand the university can only do so much as it is mainly a city issue.”
First-year Angeline Nairns said she was confused because the water was a very heavy stream.
“I would’ve had to walk through basically a river to get onto the sidewalk [through] the crosswalk on the way to Langford Auditorium,” Nairns said. “I was trying to figure out the source of all the water, and it kind of just looked like a puddle, but there were a lot of workers nearby doing something I couldn’t figure out. It was taking up almost a whole lane [of 21st Avenue], though.”
First-year Advait Kulkarni said he saw the water as he was crossing the bridge between Commons and main campus.
“I saw a bunch of brown water flowing on 21st Avenue. A student [was] using his e-scooter across 21st Avenue, and cars [were] slowing down to make a downhill turn, possibly to avoid hydroplaning,” Kulkarni said.
Senior Hope Mandler described being surprised by the water on the walk back to her apartment.
“We took a couple [of] pictures and a selfie with it. I couldn’t avoid walking through some puddles, and my shoes got wet,” Mandler said.
