Although the housing and facilities offices deliver with standards like twin extra-long beds, something as essential as reliable indoor plumbing shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

Students in Reynolds and Copley halls, for example, have recently been living with intermittent hot water. While unexpected problems and the occasional cold shower are expected to crop up, it is unacceptable for the Office of University Facilities and Student Housing to let the problem persist for multiple semesters. If Reynolds and Copley residents really wanted a big chill, they could have enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Unfortunately, cold showers are just one example of an array of pipe-related fiascoes face by university housing residents. Toilets overflow far more frequently than they should, especially in Village C. Backed-up sinks have been known to spit out sewage in New South Hall, and pipe leakages in university townhouses occasionally cause minor damage to walls or ceilings that is then left unattended for days or weeks.

As the residence buildings continue to age, it is incumbent upon the university to repair or replace failing drainage systems. Defective pipes should be fixed before they reach the point of overflowing, not after. If this is too much to ask, the facilities staff should, at the very least, be more efficient in responding to plumbing emergencies. Students shouldn’t have to wait days at a time for leaks to be repaired. Living on campus is not cheap, and students ought to feel assured that they will not be left to fight plumbing battles alone.