Improvements to Campus Chilled Water System Planned for Winter Break

Since the unplanned outage to the campus chilled water system this summer, work has continued in Harrison Square to improve the resiliency and overall operation of the system by replacing old pipes, installing valves, and adding new tie-ins for specific campus areas and buildings. The upcoming planned outage, from Dec. 14 to Dec. 30, will allow newly installed pipes to be activated and shut-off valves to be installed. This period leverages expected lower outdoor air temperatures and lower occupancy in campus buildings. 

“We appreciate the understanding and support from the campus community during this planned outage as we continue the work to improve our systems and build resiliency for the future,” said Greg Spiro, executive director for Infrastructure.  

The chilled water distribution system provides cool air to campus buildings and helps ensure the appropriate indoor temperatures for data centers to operate successfully, research labs to perform as needed, and the campus community to study, research, and work comfortably. 

A similar planned outage occurred last December. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will again monitor the project and provide updates as needed. Each building’s Continuity of Operations Plan will be on file with OEM, as these plans ensure that each building has an individual who knows what to do if problems arise.  

The building list and a color-coded map of the outage plan have been shared with campus building managers. Discussions and preparations with campus stakeholders have been ongoing since October. 

• Buildings in red: Outage planned Dec. 14 – 30. (Outage to begin after Commencement.) 

• Buildings in blue: Not affected. 

• Buildings in purple: Temporary chillers. 

View the building list and map here.