Cold water and complaints: Davis Apartment residents face recurring hot water shutoffs

Photo by Samantha Rosinski, Staff Photographer

A hot shower — the one thing sophomore business administration major Arie VanDenBerg is looking forward to after a strenuous 7 a.m. football conditioning practice. However, after stepping into his apartment shower, he tries to rationalize the health benefits of a cold plunge. 

The hot water at the Davis Apartments is out yet again.

“After 7 a.m. conditioning, coming back and just wanting to get a nice warm shower, it’s definitely not that fun to stand under the cold water,” said VanDenBerg.

Built in 1974, deterioration in the Davis residence hall is persistently affecting students' lives. Since January, Chapman Residence Life has issued three hot water shutoffs and two laundry out-of-order notices, according to a resident.

When this happens, students are notified via email about the hot water shutoffs and told that they will be restored the same day. However, this isn’t always the case.

“We just get an email every once in a while saying the hot water is going to be shut off, and it’s always set to be back on by the end of the day, and it never is,” said VanDenBerg. “It’s sometimes three days of cold showers.”

According to Juan Tinoco, the assistant dean for the Office of Residence Life and First-Year Experience, the water and hot water shutoffs were due to necessary maintenance and system updates.

“While we always aim to minimize disruptions, some repairs require temporary service interruptions to ensure long-term reliability,” Tinoco said.

The Davis Apartments are initially attractive due to their convenient location and low housing cost compared to Chapman Grand and Court. They are also popular among student-athletes, who find being close to campus easy for early morning practices.

“I chose to live in Davis due to the price,” said sophomore strategic corporate communication major Bella Ortiz. “Davis is also in good proximity to campus for me, a student-athlete for Chapman, and I don’t have my car on campus due to being out of state.”

Still, Ortiz and her roommate -– both members of the Chapman swim team — have found drawbacks to the apartment, at times returning to their dorm to find no water at all.

“We need water for the shower, to rinse our suits and to clean our dishes after eating after practice, which became an issue of being comfortable in our own apartment,” Ortiz said.

For some, like undeclared sophomore Rowan Nguyen, problems began during move-in, prompting the need for multiple work orders.

“There was a hole in the wall that was there from some wiring work that they did before and just didn’t patch up,” said Nguyen. “My stove was missing one of the burners, or at least the part that holds the burner. There were some plumbing problems with the toilet -– it just kept making noises.”

Currently, the only updated building in Davis is Building C, which had renovations completed this past summer, and according to Tinoco, these renovations are part of Chapman’s ongoing commitment to improve student housing. These upgrades are being approached in phases and as budget availability allows.

“We are also working on smaller-scale projects to enhance student experience,” Tinoco said. “Our goal is to enhance the living experience for all students while balancing financial and logistical constraints.”

Chapman currently houses 55% of the undergraduate population within its 11 housing communities. With housing selection coming up in early April, the school is working on ongoing maintenance, system upgrades and identifying where larger-scale improvements may be needed.

“We understand that facility-related issues can be frustrating, and we truly appreciate students’ patience as we work through these challenges,” Tinoco said. “Our priority is to provide a comfortable and supportive living environment, and we welcome any feedback that can help us improve.”