Leaky Plumbing: Longevity Concerns at Alumni Hall Addressed

Leaky Plumbing: Longevity Concerns at Alumni Hall Addressed

Plumbing problems have arisen at Alumni Hall within the first month of operations and student use. The first three floors of Alumni Hall have at least one room where water leaks through the ceiling into other dormitories.

“How could a building less than one year old already have problems like this?” freshman Andrew Teterycz said.
He lives on floor two of Alumni Hall with four suitemates, where water is not only coming through the ceiling, but leaking into the first floor as well.

Teterycz has counted over five visits by maintenance to his room within the first three weeks of the semester. Additionally, he and his suitemates were instructed to not shower for “as long as possible” by maintenance workers. The workers removed the shower handle from the wall after leaking persisted past initial visits.

Sophomore Jessica Matalevich described a similar situation in her room on the fourth floor.

“Maintenance has come to look at our shower at least three times, maybe more,” an Alumni RA said. “In five years, [Alumni Hall] is going to be Dorney Park,” in reference to the well-known water park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Director of Facilities William Link took a less alarmist position.

Link said the problems became apparent just before students moved into Alumni Hall, describing the prefabricated plumbing as “punchless [sic] work”.

This phrase is typically applied to unfinished projects that do not entirely meet expectations or prove faulty soon after installation.

He went on to point out that the issues were caused by an off-site factory error, and that they in no way involved error by any on-campus construction staff or pressure from administration.

Early on, according to Link, maintenance workers realized many of the loose shower drains on each floor were the source of the leaks, and that they would continue to be solved on a case by case basis as they were reported, including any other problems noted by students or staff.

Link said that Alumni Hall’s beginning hiccups would not affect the building’s longevity.

The brand-new building touts room layouts different from all other dormitories at Pleasantville, non-communal restrooms and showers, as well as First-Year Interest Group (FIG) lounges for students to socialize and study.