Houston Market was closed Monday morning due to lack of access to running water.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiThis story was last updated at 5:20 p.m. on Feb. 27.
Houston Market reopened Monday afternoon after closing for around five hours due to a water main break on Spruce Street.
The water main break, which occurred in the morning on Feb. 27, reduced Houston Market's access to running water, Barbara Lea-Kruger, director of communications and external relations for Penn Business Services, previously wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. In an email to students, sent around 4:30 p.m., Penn Dining wrote that Houston Market would be open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday for limited mobile and walk-in dining at its Penn Pi, HM Grill, Ivy Leaf, and Bento stations.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Water Department wrote to the DP that repairs to the water main were completed and water "should be restored."
The DP previously reported that Houston would be closed “until further notice“ while the City of Philadelphia completed emergency water repairs. Bathrooms in Houston Hall were also lacking running water as of 3 p.m.
The original message added that students should visit other dining locations until an update was provided for Houston Market’s reopening.
In an emailed statement sent to the DP at noon Monday, the Philadelphia Water Department said that it was “responding to a break on an 8-inch water main.” The statement also said that the Philadelphia Water Department did not have any information about how this has impacted its customers.
"Emergency crews are working to stop flow to site and will begin making repairs as soon as possible. It is anticipated Spruce Street will be closed to traffic between 34th Street and 38th Street while repairs take place,” the Philadelphia Water Department wrote.
Houston Hall was closed while the City of Philadelphia completed emergency water repairs.
As of 5:20 p.m., Spruce Street had reopened to traffic.
After the water main break, the PennEats mobile app was updated to indicate that all seven of the market’s dining facilities were closed to orders indefinitely.
College first year Alison Yau said she saw the water main break while on the way to class. She said that “the dining hall violations, in addition to Houston closing, is pretty severe, especially for a lot of students at Penn that can’t afford to eat out. We don’t have the monetary capability for that.”
Staff Reporters Emily Scolnick and Sophia Liu contributed reporting.
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