The University of Alabama campus is home to more than 7,000 students in 19 residence halls, which are occasionally subject to instances of malfunction.

Whether it’s an overflowing toilet or a broken air conditioning unit, students rely on UA Facilities to take care of the problem.

It all starts with a work order.

If residents were to find their hallway flooded, they would be better off to leave their towels hanging where they are and make for their computer.

“Students can submit an online work order, which is received by an office associate who assesses the severity of their problem,” said Alicia Browne, director of housing administration. “From there, the issue is relayed to the appropriate division of facilities, and technicians are dispatched to resolve the problem.”

To submit a work order, students visit the University’s housing website for a work order request form. The form then prompts students to supply basic information, such as the building name, room number, phone number and details of the problem.

“In the last fiscal year, we received 38,000 work order requests throughout the campus,” Betty Drummond, a program assistant with the customer services office, said. “The majority of those requests dealt with ventilation and plumbing.”

UA Facilities is separated into various divisions of labor that include plumbing, heating, ventilation, electrical maintenance, elevator, general building maintenance and custodial services.

Clad in crimson work shirts with “The University of Alabama Facilities” embroidered in white on their left breast, they are routinely seen driving around campus in Kawasaki Mules.

UA Facilities provides services around the clock for the complications that arise in the middle of the night.

“After normal duty hours, UAPD receives calls and notifies on-duty technicians or shop managers of specific work that gets requested,” Duane Lamb, assistant vice president for facilities and grounds, said.

One such instance occurred for a resident of Ridgecrest West.

Lee McNorton, a junior majoring in engineering, returned home late from studying at Bruno Library to find his sink clogged and water overflowing onto the floor and carpet. After staunching the immediate flow, he submitted a work order the following morning.

“They were very responsive in attending to our problem within the same day of requesting maintenance and stayed until our carpet was cleaned and dried,” McNorton said.

For more serious issues, such as severe leaks or the presence of mold, UA Facilities will typically respond within 24 hours of a submitted work order. However, if less immediate problems arise, such as a resident needing a bed frame raised or window blinds fixed, the students may have to wait a few extra days.