Residents at downtown McMaster residence forced to evacuate

Ongoing water issues at a McMaster University graduate residence are disrupting students once again as tenants packed their bags in preparation for a phased evacuation on Sunday.

The residents are leaving to clear the way for the school’s latest attempt to flush bacteria out of the water supply, with students saying they hope it will be the end of the issues.

Sweaters, crackers, and a toothbrush are just some of the items tucked in Connor Galloway’s suitcase.

He’s one of at least 200 McMaster students living at 10 Bay Street who are forced to pack up and move this weekend while the university undergoes yet another attempt to fix the building’s poor water quality.

“February is often where proposals are due, papers are coming on and we’re really focusing on our M.R.P.S. and thesis, so having this kind of disruption, alongside all the other disruption that we’ve seen in the building, has been really disconcerting,” Galloway said.

The university has been distributing bottled water while it works to flush coliform, a type of bacteria, out of the building’s water supply.

Previous chlorination efforts focused only on the building’s main water pipe, which is less disruptive. This time, the complete system will be flushed.

“It’s really been a shock that the water has gotten this bad. And it’s gotten to the point where they have to evacuate the whole building,” Galloway said.

READ MORE: Residents at downtown McMaster residence hold demonstration, demand pause in rent

A McMaster university spokesperson did not agree to an interview on Saturday, instead referring CHCH News to an update posted to the school’s website on January 28.

In it, the university says the evacuation is necessary because any use of the building’s water could compromise the success of efforts.

The staged move-out from will begin on Sunday, with students relocating to one of three hotels in downtown Hamilton, before returning to the residence building on Friday.

they tell me it’s the latest inconvenience in a multi-month saga they’re ready to be over. 14

“My main frustration is that why haven’t they done this sooner? If they were going to do it eventually, it would have saved everyone the headache to have it done much earlier on so we didn’t have to live three months without clean water,” Codey Lecchino said.

McMaster has reduced rent by 25 per cent through February, but students say that’s not enough.

“I think it’s a terrible spit in the face, to be honest,” Galloway said.

McMaster University has fixed many of the issues that previously plagued the residence like exposed electrical wires, dust, and debris.

But students are crossing their fingers that by Friday the last of the stubborn problems will be water under the bridge.