Colgate Together Digest

Dear Colgate Community,

I want to lead off the week with gratitude to everyone who leapt into action during last night’s water main break. Though the Village of Hamilton had the task of repairing the pipes, campus safety, facilities, residential life, and dining services staff were busy overnight, delivering bottled water across campus and assessing damage. The village’s Boil Water Notice is still in effect campuswide, so work continues today.

Let’s review the highlights from AVP Joseph Hernon:

• Please use bottled or boiled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and preparing food until further notice.
• Water need not be boiled for bathing or hand washing.
• If you’re heating your water, please keep it at a rolling boil for at least a minute.
• Drinking fountains and bottle-filling stations are out of service during this time.

If you have any ongoing issues or concerns, please email healthandsafety@colgate.edu.

I stick to generalities here because bottle delivery and filtration installation specifics differ from residence to residence. Students should check with their AD or CL for answers to questions pertaining to their halls and homes. AVP Hernon will be in touch via email should there be campuswide developments. 

Speaking of COVID. (Forgive me. I’m still thinking about the pandemic.) The updated HAT dashboard shows 83 positive student cases, and we wish everyone a rapid recovery. The Task Force continues to meet regularly to review these data — along with local and national positivity rates — and make new recommendations based on current events. During their meeting last week, they recommended that food once again be allowed at campus events and that social hosting return. The Executive Group has approved these recommendations. Please remember that masks must still be worn in all public indoor spaces when food is not being consumed, per the campus masking requirement.

Again, thanks to everyone for their resilience and patience during the last 24 hours. We will keep you posted with updates on water, COVID, and any other situation Mother Nature wants to throw at us.

Until next week,

Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications