The valve on a 12 inch water main broke in Hanover's reservoir system yesterday morning, cutting off the College's water supply and leading to a shutdown of the town's heating system.
The pipe burst was not a result of the snow storm, according to Director of Environmental Health and Safety Michael Blayney. The valve on the main broke because of old age, he said.
Blayney was informed of the valve fracture at 11 a.m. However, the effects of the water main break were not apparent on campus until about 5 p.m. when the water pressure dropped significantly, forcing the authorities to shut down the steam boilers.
The water supply was restored around 8 p.m. last night, but when Blayney spoke with The Dartmouth two hours later, he said Hanover authorities were still working to fix the heating system.
"The boilers were of very serious concern to us," Blayney said, "but everything looks good now."
Director of Residential Operations Woody Eckels said the College's first priority was to get the water flowing and then it started working on reestablishing heat.
Although students and Hanover residents were highly inconvenienced by the lack of water and heating, College authorities expressed relief that there were no major emergencies.
College Provost Susan Prager, who was in touch with students via BlitzMail, said Dartmouth Dining Services -- with sufficient food already prepared and a stock of paper plates and plastic utensils -- functioned regularly. She also visited the Women's Basketball game last night and said it went smoothly.
Prager said that the restoration of hot water triggered fire alarms in the Hopkins Center and at another building in town but that these were not dangerous. She expressed relief that there were no scheduled public events at the Hop.
