Residents of Trinity Hall (Halls) have been left without clean water for the second day in a row, following maintenance on the water pumping system yesterday afternoon. There have been reports of low water pressure, as well as complaints of murky discoloured water.
Residents have described “cold, brown water” flowing from taps, as well as “freezing cold” showers with poor water pressure.
One resident said: “I currently have no hot water and the cold water in my room just [stopped working]; any water that does come out is brown.”
An email sent to Halls residents this morning said that complaints had been made by “a small number of residents” and asked those affected to “please be patient”.
The email advised residents facing issues with their water supply to “let the water run in the tap or shower”, and to ask other residents to do the same.
The email also warned that there could be a delay in restoring access to clean water in Halls, due to the lower number of residents residing in the accommodation over reading week, and requested for residents to “be patient”.
One resident who spoke to Trinity News criticised this response: “Halls management’s response to this issue makes it seem like they’re blaming residents who chose to stay in the accommodation during reading week, as though we aren’t still paying for it.”
Some residents have called for compensation due to the issues caused by the disruption.
“I’m paying a substantial amount of money to live here as an international student and yet I’m still lacking the basic right of water.”
Another added: “When I’m paying so much for student accommodation, I expect the basic human right of running water.”
College has been contacted for comment.
Two litre bottles of drinking water have been made available at reception for residents still without clean drinking water.
On Monday, residents were warned of a disruption to the water supply due to essential maintenance of the water pumping system in Halls, but were told that the disruption would last only seven hours, between the hours of 10am and 5pm yesterday.
Contains reporting by Eliza Barrett-Cotter