January 25, 2024 | NEWS | By Seth Jahraus
Colorado Springs faced inclement weather just days before students arrived for the official start of the spring semester. The police chief as well as several local news stations issued warnings regarding the sub-zero temperatures, urging residents to stay inside and take preventative action against the cold. Most of the recommendations revolved around home heating and damage caused by the freezing climate.
Yet, sometimes even the best preparations are not enough to beat wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero.
Colorado College students experienced firsthand the destructive potential of this sort of weather. Pipes burst in two student rooms during winter break in Arthur House, an on-campus residential building near Mathias Hall.
While the cold certainly had an impact on the damages, Jamal Westry, the maintenance and facilities manager for residential housing at CC, explained that the pipe breakages were a result of improper room closeup before the long winter break, not solely the harsh weather.
Westry explained that windows in both rooms were left open after the students’ departure. The resulting leakage of cold air on the exposed water line is what caused the pipes to break.
Some have speculated that the age and state of Arthur House, built in 1881, may have contributed to the damage. However, Westry notes that this scenario was just as likely to occur in any of the newer buildings, “This is a pretty common thing,” said Westry. “That’s why we push so hard to make sure everyone closes their windows.”
When asked why there were no checks to ensure the rooms were in proper winter break condition, Westry responded that the windows were left barely ajar, claiming that any RA or maintenance worker would have assumed they were fully shut upon inspection.
The total resulting damage and costs are unknown. Luckily, staff were able to spot the leaking water and begin mitigation before any major problems arose. Throughout First Week, residents of Arthur House were without Gold Card access or WiFi, due to electrical damage caused by the flooding water.
Arthur House was the only on-campus building to experience a burst, but prevention attempts had to be made in the senior cottages.
Annie Seymour ‘24, current resident of a west campus cottage, had to temporarily relocate due to frozen pipes. The housing staff cut the water and moved Seymour to a neighboring residence while they attempted to thaw the waterline. The proactive decision and quick action helped avoid any possible breakages and Seymour was able to promptly return to her primary residence.
Several students living outside of the campus area did not receive the same fortune. Lucas Bush ‘24 returned to his Colorado Springs off-campus house with the notion that the building had survived the winter onslaught, “I got back from break, and the water was working,” Bush said. But the relief was short-lived. “One morning, I woke up and tried to turn the water on and it didn’t work.”
The blockage continued for three days straight before water started to run again. For a second time, the celebrations were brief, Bush says: “My roommate was smart enough when the water got back on to check the pipes in the basement.” As speculated, an inch-long horizontal crack was found leaking water profusely onto the floor.
Bush and his housemates quickly shut off the water and contacted utilities. It wasn’t until the next day that the breakage was fixed, and after a four-day drought, water finally returned to the household.
No more pipe damage should occur due to cold weather this year as temperatures return to normalcy and highs reach the mid-40s. However, as the changing climate continues to produce harsher and harsher weather, students should expect next winter to possess similar severe temperatures. In such a case, it will be important to recognize and mitigate the potential damages and dangers caused by the cold.