Deerfield Water Pipe Mess

On Monday, January 23rd, Deerfield students awoke to a DA Alert notifying them of off-campus water pipe damage. Many soon discovered that water pressure across campus had been drastically reduced, with some faucets spitting dry air. 

According to History Teacher Mary Ellen Friends, a burst pipe near Greenfield where the school sources its water caused the low water pressure. Due to the previous night’s heavy snowstorm, snow accumulated on an active electrical wire. At one point, the wire snapped, causing it to fall to the ground, melting the snow and asphalt. As a result, the wire charge damaged the water pipe below, and the damage was significant enough for it to burst. This forced the utilities company to divert water flow to Deerfield through an auxiliary pipe that could not transport the intended volume of water. 

Many boarding students complained about difficulties with toilets not flushing and issues with their morning routine. Angel Paez ’25 expressed, “I usually brush my teeth in the morning. However there was no water to really use on my toothbrush. So, I had to dry brush which had a huge effect.” However, the water shortage spared day students as Julian Abreu ’25, a resident of Ashley House in Historic Deerfield, still had running water throughout the entire day. Abreu added that he “didn’t really notice it,” meaning that the broken pipes had only affected the Deerfield campus itself, with faculty and civilian houses along Old Main Street mostly unaffected. 

Additionally, as many students source water for drinking from the tap, the low water pressure caused many inconveniences. Abreu recounted his struggles throughout the day, “I was in my math class and was really thirsty, and I went to get a drink of water. [However], I couldn’t get any water, so my mouth was dry for the next hour.” However, the issue did not only affect the school day. Flex time swimming on the 23rd was canceled, much to the dismay of many of the swim team members. Moreover, Paez, a member of the Deerfield varsity wrestling team, remarked, “I usually drink a lot of water in the morning; that’s how I stay hydrated. However, I couldn’t do that, so I was dehydrated the whole day [up through] wrestling practice, so I couldn’t get a full practice in”.

The pipe has caused many inconveniences for all members of the Deerfield community, and raises concerns as cold weather and snowfall continue.