Over 20 Buildings Suffering From Toilet Paper Blockages in Santa Clara University Campus

Twenty buildings throughout the Santa Clara University campus have been subject to excessive toilet blockages since late Dec. 2024, with the University viewing purposeful toilet stuffing as a potential cause for the clogs. 

Photo by Dylan Ryu.

Due to damages to the water system, construction crews have closed off parts of campus for repairs

The blockages began in the Sanfilippo Residence Hall during finals week of the 2024 fall quarter, according to Sean Collins, associate vice president of University Operations. In Sanfilippo Hall, University Operations found “extreme volumes” of toilet paper in the sewer. University Operations thought the problem was a one-time event, but it reappeared in Sanfilippo Hall during the first week of the following quarter and affected about 20 other buildings on campus.

It’s unknown what the cause of the toilet paper blockages is. 

“We’re kind of wide open right now, looking at everything,” said Director of Campus Safety Philip Beltran. 

However, there are suspicions of intentional toilet blocking. 

“Most of our crew has been here for 20-plus years, so they’re used to dealing with the occasional clogged toilet,” said Collins. 

The primary concern involves the substantial amount of toilet paper found in the sewers being “in some cases, what would fill multiple five-gallon buckets worth of toilet paper back up,” according to Collins. Additionally, after clearing toilet blockages, they sometimes clog again within a few days, according to Collins.

There is also the possibility that the toilet paper used on campus is the cause, and University Operations has since switched to using thinner toilet paper in campus restrooms in order to ease the blockages. However, it’s unknown whether it has caused the blockages to lessen, according to Collins. 

Gargi Phadke ’26, a Community Facilitator in Swig Residence Hall, saw this issue impact her building this past weekend.

“We have had issues with our basement flooding, and some of our laundry machines are not working right now,” said Phadke. “We’ve asked residents to just do their laundry elsewhere, if possible, and just be more responsible when using the bathroom and things like that.”

There is also a possibility that the blockages may cause issues for the University in the long run.

“Every dollar that’s spent on this is a dollar that doesn’t get spent on something else,” said Collins. The cost it takes to clear the clogs may be “money that is taking away from other priorities that would be a better use of these funds,” according to Collins. 

There have been no new reports of toilet blockages on campus. However, the reason for the stop is unknown. 

Those who have information related to the toilet blockages and their cause may contact Campus Safety, report the issue on EthicsPoint or contact Residence Hall Staff.