A broken pipe about four feet in diameter and buried 20 feet underground is affecting air conditioning at nearly every UW-Madison facility.
4-foot-wide pipe at center of UW-Madison cooling crisis buried 20 feet underground
ABC 27
July 15, 2026
Campus life
UW-Madison still dealing with cooling issues weeks after broken chilled water line
NBC 15
As another stretch of hot weather settles into southern Wisconsin, UW-Madison is continuing to work to restore cooling across campus after a major chilled water line broke last month.
The university says campus remains open and operating, but many buildings are still warmer than normal. Some buildings remain temporarily closed while crews continue both temporary cooling efforts and work toward a permanent repair.
Agriculture
5 threats to soybeans during excessive heat
Farm Progress
Weather forecasters expect this to be one of the warmest growing seasons on record for much of the Midwest.
The early July heat wave prompted crop growth while heavy rains fell across parts of Wisconsin. USDA data showed corn condition at 82% good to excellent, while soybean condition remained unchanged at 78% good to excellent, with 20% of the crop blooming.
Health
Diarrhea-causing parasite found in Wisconsin and 30 other states
Wisconsin State Journal
People become infected with cyclospora by consuming contaminated fresh produce or untreated water. Cases pick up in warmer months, because more people are eating fresh fruits and vegetables, said Dr. Jim Conway, a UW Health Kids pediatric infectious disease doctor.
UW Experts in the News
How effects of a ‘super’ El Niño will feel in Wisconsin
WPR
Dan Vimont has a depressing prediction for anyone concerned about climate change.
“We will almost definitely shatter the global temperature record in 2027,” said Vimont, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW-Madison Related
Nuclear fusion company picks former Oscar Mayer site for R&D facility after nationwide search
Wisconsin State Journal
The company, which got its start at UW-Madison and is currently based in a shared office building on the Far West Side, had 35 full-time employees at the end of last year and expects to grow to 70 by the end of this year, CEO Kieran Furlong said.
UW investigation finds Animal Advocacy violated posting policy, dismisses solicitation allegation
The Badger Herald
The University of Wisconsin-Madison found July 7 that registered student organization Animal Advocacy violated university posting policies but cleared the organization of allegations that it solicited students to participate in the April Ridglan Farms rescue attempt, according to an investigative report obtained by The Badger Herald.