(EDITOR’S NOTE: This report was updated Oct. 15.)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Residents of NMSU’s Chamisa Village dormitory complex continue to face water-related problems, with university housing recently announcing the issues are expected to continue at least through October.
An email sent by NMSU Housing and Residential Life said a temporary bypass system, which had been providing hot water, failed again. Rather than continuing with temporary repairs, the university plans to permanently replace the failed heat exchanger.
The outage affects residents in buildings E, F, G and H, who will continue to have access to cold water but will not have hot water during the repairs. Buildings A, B and C are expected to maintain normal water service.
“We know that patience has been tested, and our focus now is on completing the permanent repair as quickly and reliably as possible and keeping you informed along the way,” Housing and Residential Life stated in the email.
Water outages have been an ongoing issue throughout the first half of the semester, with many residents reporting inconsistent access to hot water. This adds to ongoing maintenance concerns at Chamisa Village, where residents have also experienced issues with air conditioning units not working properly.
According to the email, residents in the affected buildings are expected to be without hot water for another two weeks. A contractor is expected to begin replacing the heat exchanger as soon as possible, with a more detailed repair timeline to be provided.
The ongoing outages have also affected students’ daily routines. Nola Sers, a Chamisa Village resident living in Building G, said she has been without hot water since moving into her apartment.
“Since I moved in, I haven’t had any hot water,” Sers said. “It’s terrible, it’s disgusting… it’s gross for our dishes too.”
Sers said she has relied on cold showers, occasionally showered at friends’ apartments and traveled home on weekends to avoid the conditions.
Housing and Residential Life also acknowledged the impact the continued outages have had on residents’ daily routines and apologized for the inconvenience. The university said it will continue providing updates throughout the replacement process, including any additional disruptions to water service.
In a campus-wide email sent late Tuesday, Oct. 13, NMSU President Valerio Ferme stated the following:
“Our Facilities & Services and Auxiliary Services teams have been working diligently to address these problems, and we are putting solutions in place to support affected students. This work has also underscored the effects of aging infrastructure and accumulated deferred maintenance, challenges that require both immediate attention and a sustained, long-term approach to renewal and investment. To support continuity of operations, we are bringing in additional contractor personnel to supplement our teams, accelerate repairs, and help address the broader maintenance challenges affecting our residential facilities.
“Dr. Allen Bottorff, our Vice President for Administration and Finance, is overseeing these efforts, with our F&S and Auxiliary Services teams coordinating daily to advance the work. The Administration & Finance team is also advancing plans for targeted financial relief for affected residents, including prorated housing credits and parking relief, while preparing contingency arrangements for temporary accommodations should additional assistance become necessary.
“Beyond addressing the immediate needs of affected residents, we are continuing to evaluate and advance longer-term improvements to our residential facilities and broader campus infrastructure. These needs cannot be resolved through repairs alone. They will require thoughtful planning, responsible stewardship of university resources, and sustained investment in partnership with the State of New Mexico and other stakeholders.
“We’re communicating directly with affected students about the relief measures, repair progress, and assistance available to them. We also recognize that our communication has not always been as timely, clear, and consistent as it should have been. We are taking steps to improve how we share information, communicate anticipated timelines, and respond to concerns, including when we do not yet have all the answers. Rebuilding and then maintaining the confidence of our students and their families will require not only resolving these issues, but demonstrating transparency, responsiveness, and follow-through.”
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