McMahon Hall experienced a full water shut-off on Saturday, Oct. 26 due to an overflowing shower. Students and facilities operations shared different accounts on how long the water shut-off lasted and facilities operations shared conflicting stories.
According to Jedd Applebaum, chief engineer and associate director of facilities operations, the shut-off lasted 30 minutes sometime between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. It was announced in advance via the intercom as well as once the water was put back on.
Applebaum explained the shut-down occurred due to a suspected leak in the pipes which turned out to be an overflowing shower. The overflowing shower had leaked into the kitchen and then into the walls.
“To be on the safe side and prevent further damage, we had to shut it off,” Applebaum said.
Applebaum said the only damage from the leak was to some ceiling tiles which were quickly replaced.
“I was most frustrated that I didn’t receive an announcement by email or from my RA when I was coming home because it’s possible I would’ve changed my plans that day a little bit had I known the water was going to be off.” Kasey Orava, FCLC ’25
Students living in McMahon described a different story than Applebaum. Kasey Orava, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, and Kennedy Bellin, FCLC ’26, both claimed the water was shut off for a couple hours.
Orava expressed frustration with the lack of communication with residents about the shut-off, as she was off-campus at the time of the intercom announcement.
“I was most frustrated that I didn’t receive an announcement by email or from my RA when I was coming home because it’s possible I would’ve changed my plans that day a little bit had I known the water was going to be off,” Orava said.
Following the reinstatement of the water, Orava said the water was coming out brown for a couple minutes.
“It was not the most pleasant to look at, but it did eventually get better,” she said.
Water-related problems in the dorms are no stranger to Bellin, who said her bathroom has not had reliable hot water in over a month.
“Hot showers are starting to feel like a gift from God.” she said. “Last night my shower was so cold I was shivering.”
Orava said she faced similar issues with consistent water temperature.
“We’ve been finding that when we shower, sometimes the water doesn’t get hot enough and we have to take cold showers,” Orava said.
Funicello went on to describe a leaky toilet, mold in clusters around the bathroom, and her shower ceiling which fills up with water every time she and her roommates take a shower.
Phia Funicello (FCLC ’27) said she had problems with the water temperature from move-in day.
She said that hot shower reliability has been “disappointing from the start.”
Funicello went on to describe a leaky toilet, mold in clusters around the bathroom, and her shower ceiling which fills up with water every time she and her roommates take a shower. She said that Facilities Operations hasn’t responded to the work order she placed concerning the drooping shower ceiling.
In response to water heater issues, Applebaum said that there was an issue with the pump which was repaired the night of Oct. 30.
“Since Wednesday, the water has been steady and constant,” he said.
Water-related problems aren’t the only problems students have faced with the facilities at McMahon.
Applebaum explained future plans to create back-up solutions so there could be abundant hot water.
McMahon faced another leak on Oct. 30 at the entrance of McMahon in front of the Office of Residential Life. According to facilities operations, the leak was caused by a problem with a drain valve connected to an air conditioner, a problem that typically occurs when switching from cooling to heating. Orava and Bellin both reported seeing water dripping from the ceiling and creating a puddle on the floor.
Applebaum ensured there was nothing to worry about.
“It looked a lot worse than it actually was,” he said.
Water-related problems aren’t the only problems students have faced with the facilities at McMahon.
Funicello expressed similar complaints surrounding the price of the dorms and the quality of living she’s getting in return.
Bellin reported her and her friends experiencing issues with brown grease stains on their clothes from the washing machines. Despite two work orders, Bellin said the issues have not been fixed.
Bellin expressed frustration with the quality of the facilities at McMahon and the more than $20,000 price she paid for nine months.
“I feel like I’m paying an insane amount to live on campus to be dealing with this,” Bellin said.
Funicello expressed similar complaints surrounding the price of the dorms and the quality of living she’s getting in return.
“For the amount of money I’m paying to live here right now, I can handle everything else, I can handle a leaky toilet, I can handle water damage, I can handle not amazing water pressure, all I ask for is a hot shower,” she said.
There have been other plumbing incidents in past years, such as a collapsed ceiling in September 2019. It stemmed from a clogged mainline connecting all running water appliances which led to a pipe bursting.
When reminded of the incident, Applebaum stressed the facilities department’s emphasis on swift action.
“We do have problems, risers get clogged, pipes get clogged, but we really strive to be more responsible than an apartment building. We have people 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure we respond quickly,” Applebaum said.
Despite these efforts, student complaints surrounding water temperature, general facility upkeep, and communication from maintenance persist as residents said they feel a substantial disparity between the cost of residence halls and the quality of life that they experience.