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UPDATE: Boil Water Advisory Lifted

by Student Affairs

MESSAGE SENT TO ALL RESIDENTS ON SATURDAY, JAN. 11, 2025:

At noon today (Saturday), the City of Richmond lifted the boil water advisory after testing deemed water safe to drink. PLEASE NOTE: Water fountains and water bottle filling stations in campus residence halls should not be used until they have been flushed and filters have been replaced. It will be communicated to you once these fountains and stations are available for use.

Water has been returned to all campus residence halls. Below is important information regarding your return to campus and how to manage using water:

  • If you’re a newly assigned resident for the spring, or in a 9-month first-year residence hall, move-in begins at noon on Sunday, Jan. 12. If you’re a resident living in one of our apartment-style residence halls and you haven’t already returned to campus, we ask that you delay your return until Sunday, Jan. 12.
  • Now that the city has lifted the boil water advisory, we need your assistance to ensure the pipes in your space are properly flushed. Before use or consumption, make sure that the following items are completed:
    • If you live in an apartment (Ackell, Broad & Belvidere, Cary & Belvidere, Grace & Broad, West Grace North, West Grace South):
      • Run sinks on a mixture of hot and cold water for 10 minutes.
      • Stay at the faucet while flushing to make sure the sink does not overflow.
      • Run an empty cycle of your washing machine.
      • Do not wash clothes if the water is discolored. Wait until the water runs clear at the tap. 
      • Wash a load of dark clothes first.
      • Dump out your ice maker, allow it to remake ice, and dump the remade ice cubes, then clean and sanitize the ice maker container before making and utilizing ice.
      • Run an empty cycle of your dishwasher.
      • Run a mixture of hot and cold water in your shower for 10 minutes.
      • Stay at the shower while flushing to make sure the shower does not overflow.
    • If you live in a suite or spaces with in-unit bathrooms (Brandt, GRC Suites, GRC III, and The Honors College): 
      • Run sinks on a mixture of hot and cold water for 10 minutes.
      • Stay at the faucet while flushing to make sure the sink does not overflow.
      • Run a mixture of hot and cold water in your shower for 10 minutes.
      • Stay at the shower while flushing to make sure the shower does not overflow.
      • Washers and dishwashers in these style halls have been flushed by staff.
    • If you live in a traditional-style space with communal bathrooms (Rhoads Hall and GRC Traditional Rooms), the sinks, showers, washers, and dishwashers, in these community-style halls have been flushed by staff. 
  • Do not be alarmed if there is a strong odor of chlorine, which is used to disinfect potable water. This odor will dissipate after flushing the pipes and continued use of water.
  • Bathroom sinks in lobbies and common areas of all residence halls will be flushed by staff by noon on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Please do not drink from these sinks until this time. 
  • Bottled water that was procured last week is available for free to all VCU students at Rodney’s in Shafer Court Dining Center, while supplies last. Each on-campus student may pick up approximately 10 bottles. Please bring your student ID and something to transport your water. Water pick-up will be available on Sunday, Jan. 12 from noon to 9 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 13 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
  • If you have an active leak or facilities emergency, please call (804) 828-9444. If you live in Gladding Residence Center, you should call (804) 828-2226.
  • If you have a non-emergency facilities need or further issues with any fixtures or appliances, please place a work order at fss.vcu.edu. Gladding Residence Center residents should place a work order at mycommunity.americancampus.com.

At this time, VCU will resume on-campus operations, and Spring semester classes will begin, on Monday, Jan. 13. Please continue to visit https://alert.vcu.edu/ for more detailed information about our return to campus operations. Thank you again for your patience and understanding during this time.

Categories Spring 2025