Plumbing problems close Gonzaga dining hall

A plumbing malfunction closed the dining hall and restaurants at the Hemmingson Center on the Gonzaga Campus during the weekend.

The pumps that remove “dirty” water, such as water drained from a dishwasher, failed and water started backing up, said Gonzaga spokeswoman Mary Joan Hahn.

The backup led Gonzaga to close all food services in the building on Friday. Restrooms, sinks and fountains on the west end of the building also were closed. As of Monday, Starbucks, Wolfgang Puck and The Marketplace reopened. The dining hall known as the COG was the only service closed Monday.

One of the water pumps has been replaced and the second was installed Monday, Hahn said.

Sodexo, the food service provider that contracts with Gonzaga, moved dining services to the Cataldo dining hall and continued to serve throughout the weekend.

For freshman Anthony Boragno, the closure wasn’t a big deal.

“It’s the usual food,” Boragno said outside of the Cataldo dining hall Monday morning.

Cataldo isn’t usually open for breakfast, but the dining hall opened early to serve students who would usually eat at Hemmingson.

Boragno and his friends Taylor Biondi and Cameron Messke said they ate off campus all weekend and used Bulldog Bucks instead.

The three noticed that Cataldo was serving items the COG usually serves. Under normal operations, Cataldo offers a set menu while Hemmingson has more variety, Boragno said.

The second new pump was being tested Monday afternoon and Hahn said plans call for the COG to reopen for breakfast Tuesday.