Update as of July 31, 2026:
Water service has been restored throughout MUMC following the planned overnight repair. Some work will continue over the next few days, and it is anticipated that this will have minimal impact on site operations.
McMaster thanks faculty, staff, learners and researchers for their patience and cooperation during this work.
Original story below:
A planned repair to a city water main will result in a temporary loss of domestic hot and cold water service throughout McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC), also known as the Health Sciences Centre (HSC).
The disruption is expected to begin at midnight (12:00 a.m.) on Friday, July 31, 2026, and last until approximately 6 a.m.
Here’s what you need to know:
During the outage:
- Washrooms and sinks in MUMC will be unavailable.
- Emergency eyewash stations and showers will be unavailable.
- Portable washrooms, bottled water, portable eyewash stations and an emergency shower unit will be available to support building occupants.
The following systems and services are expected to remain operational:
- Fire protection systems
- Server cooling infrastructure
- HVAC systems
- Reverse osmosis (RO) water supporting research activities
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) has implemented service continuity measures and McMaster University is working closely with hospital partners to monitor the situation.
Faculty, staff, learners and researchers who plan to be in MUMC during the outage period should plan accordingly and follow any on-site direction provided by Facility Services or HHS personnel.
Updates will be shared as needed. An all-clear notification will be issued once water service has been restored.
For questions or urgent operational concerns during the outage, please contact your supervisor or designated building emergency contact.