Water supply to 38 communities in Massachusetts including Medford and Somerville has since Saturday been disrupted, and the earliest the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) expects regular service to be restored is Wednesday.
A major water main in Weston broke, affecting water supply to more than 2 million people, including Tufts' Medford/Somerville and Boston campuses. The break occurred in a coupling connecting two pipes carrying treated water from the Quabbin reservoir.
Storage tanks located at the end of pipelines enabled water service to all areas to continue uninterrupted, according to MWRA Communications Director Ria Convery. She also said there was no decrease in water pressure, posing no problems for fire departments.
Emergency water supplies were activated but are not safe for consumption, prompting the MWRA to mandate a "boil-water" order in affected counties until further notice. Gov. Deval Patrick then declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts to expedite response.
A boil-water order requires that boiled and bottled water be used for drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, washing utensils and food preparation surfaces and for brushing teeth.
The water being temporarily supplied from Chestnut Hill Reservoir is safe for bathing and washing hands but is less sanitary than regular tap water because Chestnut Hill is an open reservoir, exposed to contamination by animals, according to Convery.
The aqueduct to which the resevoir provides supplies is also dirty and has not been used in 40 years, she added.
"The water is not treated in quite the same way as the water we usually receive, so they're being a little cautious," Senior Director of Public and Environmental Safety John King said. "There is believed to be some bacteria in the water."
Replacement of the damaged coupling and further testing is scheduled for completion by Monday, according to Convery. The MWRA will then begin sanitizing and sampling the water in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
King said that Tufts is preparing for the water shortage situation to outlast MWRA's most optimistic predictions. "We're trying to be prepared for about a week here," he said.
He said students living in off-campus apartments with kitchens are encouraged to boil their water for one minute before usage, while measures are being taken to provide students in on-campus residence halls with clean water.
"We'd prefer if you have the ability to boil and make the water safe yourself, it will make less of a demand on supply," King said, "There's a major strain on the water supply in general."
Boiled water is available at both dining halls, and bottled water is available at the Mayer Campus Center and the Tower Café, according to Director of Dining and Business Services Patricia Klos.
Technical Services Manager Geoffrey Bartlett said that an emergency management group, led by King, is continuing to meet regularly to coordinate the university's crisis response.
An emergency planning meeting was held yesterday morning with administrators to assess the university's needs, according to King.
Two emergency alert text messages were sent out Saturday, alerting students to the situation and directing them to Tufts' and MWRA's websites for more information. E-mail updates were also sent out throughout yesterday.
"The information that we're trying to get to people is not something you can put in a text message," King said.
A website, emergency.tufts.edu/water, has also been set up, on which further announcements will be posted. There is also a form for students to post questions, feedback and concerns.
The water situation poses a challenge for Dining Services. Fountain soda, filtered water and the juice machines cannot be used, Klos said. Dining Services has bought portion packs to make lemonade, ice tea and juice.
Though unavailable this weekend, limited amounts of coffee will be provided, according to Klos. She added that the kitchens will operate using paper utensils and dishes because the quantity makes it difficult to heat enough water to clean them.
"We do have ways to sanitize or sterilize cooking equipment, but for dishes, we're going to use paper products," Klos said.
Bartlett said that many aspects beyond hygiene and dining will potentially be impacted by the water shortage. "Research, for example, might be affected," Bartlett said.
