Question: What's up with all the underground tunnels on campus?

Answer: Well, prior to hearing this excellent query, I had never heard of this so-called "top secret" tunnel system before, but the endless possibilities of its purpose soon filled my mind. Could it be an old secret passageway for students to escape from boring classes? A breeding ground for 45-pound rats? Where UA banishes administrators when they act up?

Unfortunately, my bubble was burst once I put in a call to UA spokesperson Sharon Kha, who explained the tunnels serve as underground utility system.

According to the UA facilities management Web site, the UA currently has seven miles of utility tunnels under the main campus with an additional system under the Arizona Health Sciences Center campus. The first part of the system was built in 1926, the most recent addition in 2001, and the largest expansion occurred during the 1960s.

But what's the purpose, you ask? In a nutshell, the tunnel system links campus buildings to the utility plants that carry a variety of things, most having to do with water: a domestic water emergency management system, reverse osmosis water, a reclaimed water instrument (Yawn · oh sorry, I was falling asleep there!), a chiller water supply and return, steam condensate return, electrical circuits, compressed air, a fire safety system and telecommunications such as cable and broadband.

However, Kha did have this juicy little tidbit for me: Apparently, 10 years ago, a fire was somehow started in the tunnels. For some reason, firefighters had difficulty putting out the blaze. It burned for several days, forcing some campus buildings to be temporarily closed.

Do you have a burning question keeping you up tossing and turning at night? Send it to the campus detective! E-mail her at catcalls@wildcat.arizona.edu.