CHLOE KOWALYK
Special to The Leader
On Sept. 10, Fredonia students received an emergency alert with information regarding a “Boil Water Order” from the Village of Fredonia.
Students were advised to refrain from drinking tap water and avoid using it when refilling water bottles, washing dishes, making coffee, cooking and brushing their teeth.
The water contains disease-causing bacteria and should be avoided in any aspect that the bacteria may be ingested or could contaminate food.
It can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.
Doug Essek, the mayor of Fredonia said that the water filter was due for a seasonal change in the spring of 2020, but was put on hold due to the pandemic.
“[The pandemic] and a combination of other scheduled upgrades and multiple water main breaks during the summer raised the potential for increased turbidity in the system,” he said.
The Fredonia Water Treatment Plant has begun repairs and improvements and worked throughout the week of Sept. 14 to Sept. 18.
It is expected that the system will return to compliance shortly after the completion of the repairs.
Water fountains across campus are roped off with signs and tape to prevent students from drinking the water, making this semester feel even more dystopian than before.
Sophomore Alé Herreros said that the water crisis is like “another layer added [to the dystopian feel] and going to Walmart and seeing all the water sold out made it seem like something out of a zombie movie.”
Freshman Courtney Hays said, “The water crisis has such a big impact on us, but when you talk to people outside of the county, they don’t even know about the water issues in Fredonia. It gives a sense of perspective in a way.”
However, tap water is safe to use for activities such as showering and washing hands.
Dining halls cannot serve fountain drinks or anything made with tap water.
Starbucks is also unable to serve drinks made with ice, such as frappuccinos and iced coffees, and cannot make drinks such as lattes that require the espresso machine.
However, some favorites are still available at Starbucks for the time being, according to Emily Cammarata via Twitter: “Hot coffee, hot tea, refreshers (no lemonade), cold brew, chai lattes and matcha lattes.”
The Village of Fredonia has yet to set a date for the end of the order, but according to the campus’s Environmental Health & Safety & Sustainability, it could potentially last two to three weeks.
A tanker truck with fresh water is located in the parking lot of Jewett Hall and is available for all students and faculty to use to refill their water bottles.
Sarah Laurie, the director of Environmental Health and Safety and Sustainability on campus said that the tanker truck will be available for “as long as we have need for it… there are arrangements in place to have it refilled if we use all the water.”
Laurie also said that bottled water will be available for students living on campus. Students can obtain bottled water from the lobby or front desk of their residence hall as needed.
Fredonia residents can get bottled water for free at the village distribution sites, which are actively posted on the Village of Fredonia’s Facebook page.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Sarah Laurie at Environmental.Health-Safety@fredonia.edu.
Mayor Doug Essek can be reached at (716) 679-2307 or (716) 410-1558.