Shannon Welch/Photo Editor

According to Director of Utilities Management Peter Staye, students living in HiRise and LoRise can expect to have consistent hot water in their residences by the end of the month.

Staye confirmed that materials to reconnect the pipe to the University’s Central Power Plant (CPP) will arrive shortly. HiRise and LoRise residents should be back on the CPP by Oct. 29.

Just before the beginning of the fall 2012 semester, the pipe connecting the HiRise and LoRise apartments to the University power plant broke. The students in junior housing have been receiving their hot water from a large truck located in the HiRise parking lot.

This truck was inspected and approved by the City’s Building Department and Fire Marshal’s Office. However, on the evening of Oct. 10, the boiler in the truck was shut down in response to fumes and smoke due to a malfunction.

“The issue with the temporary boiler last week was not a fire,” Staye said. “The oil/air mix going into the boiler fell out of balance, so the result was poor combustion causing smoke from the boiler flue and the odor.”

Soon afterward, LoRise/HiRise Area Coordinator Brian Nangle sent an email to the residents to update them on the incident.

“It was restarted soon after that,” Nangle wrote. “The boiler is physically checked three times a day, and oil is delivered daily. Although heat will only come on if night-time temperatures drop below 50 degrees, the boiler should be providing sufficient amounts of hot water for the buildings.”