Updated: Jan. 21, 2024, at 10:07 p.m.
Officials temporarily closed Thurston dining hall and Lerner Health and Wellness Center Sunday afternoon in response to two separate water main breaks, according to emails sent to campus residents.
University spokesperson Julia Metjian said Sunday night that an electrical emergency caused D.C. Water to shut off water in the area around Thurston and Mitchell halls. She said a separate broken water main affected Lerner, but water has now been restored.
“We recognize the impact this D.C. issue has had on students and have worked to ensure other dining options are available at other locations,” Metjian said in an email.
There are two main breaks near campus, according to the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority website – one on 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue of low priority that will be addressed within 30 days and another on 23rd and G Street of higher priority that will be addressed within 48 hours.
The main breaks cut off water access to Thurston and Mitchell halls until about 8 p.m. Sunday, according to an email sent to Thurston and Mitchell residents, and closed Thurston dining hall and Lerner for the rest of the night. An email sent to GW residents said Thurston dining hall and Lerner would remain closed until Monday morning while facilities officials inspect both buildings.
GW Dining posted on Instagram Sunday afternoon that Thurston dining hall would be closed for the evening, and facilities officials emailed Thurston Hall residents shortly after stating no water was available for use in Thurston or Mitchell halls.
“Due to two separate DC Water emergencies, water was shut off to both Health & Wellness and Thurston Hall today,” an email to residents reads. “Facilities is in the processes of inspecting both buildings, but Health & Wellness and Thurston Dining should be open and operating as normal tomorrow.”
John Lisle, the vice president of marketing and communications at D.C. Water, said in an email that the D.C. Water Command Center could not pinpoint a nearby main break based on the information GW Dining provided about why they closed the dining hall in Thurston Hall, but emails from GW officials later cited two D.C. water emergencies.
The main break comes after a host of water-related issues on campus in October and November. On Oct. 31, officials evacuated students from FSK Hall after ceiling repairs on the eighth floor triggered the building’s sprinklers, causing water damage in rooms and at least four students to stay in hotels due to damage. On Nov. 9, officials closed Gelman Library for a day after a water main leak caused flooding on H Street between 21st and 22nd streets, prompting officials to shut off the water supply in Gelman Library.
D.C. Water officials also advised some areas of Ward 3 and 4 on Friday to boil their water before drinking due to harmful pathogens potentially entering the water system due to a loss in pressure. Officials lifted the advisory Sunday after tests determined the water met safety standards.
This post was updated to include an email sent to residents and a statement from Metjian.
