No panic about water contaminated with faecal bacteria at USP

Is it just our imagination, or is the campus unusually quiet this Monday morning? It seems many students and staff have chosen to study or work from home because it's easier to get drinking water or coffee there. Or maybe it's quiet because the teaching block is coming to an end.

It is dark at the Gutenberg espresso bar, on the ground floor of the University Library. The establishment is closed "due to bacteria in the water", according to a note stuck on the glass door. 

DUB crosses two Psychology students in front of Spar. They are walking towards the University Library. They just bought a bottle of flavoured water. "Yes, we're really disappointed, especially because we couldn't get coffee from Spar's machine. We usually do that before we start studying," says one of them.

She says there are large pans of boiled water all over the kitchen of her student house. "There are nine of us. We collect water from the pans with a large soup ladle."

Her friend shares how things are in her house: "Well, at my house, there are also plenty of people who just drink the tap water. They don't care. They say that only old people get sick from it."

Bring your own water
In the early hours of Friday to Saturday, Vitens, the water company serving the city of Utrecht, discovered faecal bacteria in a water storage facility in Kanaleneiland. Since then, large parts of the city of Utrecht and the surrounding area have been advised to boil water for three minutes before drinking it.

The water at the university could also be contaminated, so UU posted a message about the incident on its website on Saturday. They also warned the UU community via Instagram and the MyUU app. Managers were contacted personally. Several faculties decided to communicate the situation themselves as well.

Visitors to the university's buildings are advised to bring their own drinking water. The coffee machines are out of order, and canteens may remain closed. However, lectures and exams will go on as usual.

On Monday, some people were surprised that the university hadn't sent an email to all students and staff. Some staff members manifested their surprise on the Intranet. 

Students living in SSH complexes did receive an email from the student housing provider. According to a university spokesperson, UU didn't send an email because it assumed that most people wouldn't read their work or student emails on the weekend.

Old-fashioned coffee making
An international student pursuing a master's in International Management walks out of Spar carrying two bottles of water. She heard about the bacteria through her study group's group chat. The whole situation is not convenient for her, as she is already quite stressed about her final exams.

"What I hear is that the problem has actually already been solved, and they are playing it safe. But then again, so am I. Fortunately, Spar just got a new supply of bottled water."

Inside, we find out that the new stock is not yet on the shelves. They are completely empty. "All the water was gone by Saturday at noon," says Spar regional manager Floris, who is working at the branch in Utrecht Science Park this Monday morning. "Then our customers started buying soft drinks and juices instead."

Those are not the only products suddenly selling well at Spar during this "water crisis." Kettles and filter coffee are also sold out. "It seems that everyone is going back to making their own cup of tea the old-fashioned way."

On the other hand, having to take the coffee machines out of service has been a major loss for the supermarket. "We are not allowed to turn on the smoothie machine, either," says Floris.

Sick
Two ICT students from the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, living in Hilversum and Houten, respectively, are standing in front of the supermarket. They heard about the water contamination on the news and brought water from home. "One of our friends got sick after drinking water, so I thought it would be wise to do so," says one of them. His fellow student adds, "I've also heard that people tend to drink more water when they're drunk. Then you might not be as careful."

The Educatorium canteen appears to be open as usual, although it is empty and quiet. "We just don't have any coffee. That's why we're not providing catering. Otherwise, you can get everything you need today," says an employee curtly. "But yes, I think a lot of people have stayed at home."

Surprisingly, De Living, the café on Padualaan, is still serving coffee. "We are just outside the area that Vitens says is affected," says the barman. "Besides, we're not part of the university." DUB checked De Living's postcode on the water company's website, and the advice to boil water indeed does not apply to the café.

Not all university buildings appear to fall within the postcode areas that Vitens considers to be at risk. This includes the international campus, among others. However, according to UU, these are exceptions; therefore, the university prefers to apply the same policy to all buildings for clarity.

Kettles
In the Administration Building, many employees react cheerfully and pragmatically to the situation. Although UU asked them not to use kettles for safety reasons, some still do.

Most people understand why the university did not send an email. After all, they know that many colleagues do not check their email or work phone at the weekend. Besides, everyone was probably aware of the situation anyway; if not through emails or messages from colleagues, then through the national news media.

Three Legal Affairs staff members working on the first floor show us the vacuum flasks or water bottles they brought from home. Their “insider tip” is going to the MAMS café across the street, which claims to have a safe coffee machine. People are only too happy to believe it. “That's very nice, but I could have managed without it. There are worse things to deal with.”

Cleaning and restarting
According to the UU spokesperson, the situation has not caused any problems within the university, as far as they know. Water supplies are available at reception desks in case of emergency. Emergency response officers can use those. 

This situation will continue until at least Wednesday morning. Vitens hopes to announce on Tuesday whether the water is again free of faecal bacteria. UU warns employees that flushing the water pipes may take some time. In addition, all vending machines must be cleaned and restarted manually, which may take several days.