A pipe malfunction in Stocker Engineering and Technology Center caused an estimated $150,000 in damage.
Ohio University officials are estimating a pipe malfunction, which caused flooding and collapsing ceiling tiles Wednesday afternoon in Stocker Engineering and Technology Center, could cost up to $150,000.
The flood resulted from improperly secured valves, according to OU Facilities.
The pipe’s supply valve was closed, but the return valve was not, so when a coil — which had frozen over the winter — started leaking, the water flowed up the return pipe, said Joseph Lalley, senior associate vice president of IT and administrative services.
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The flood happened Wednesday, after the university turned on the building’s chilled water supply.
“As the system pressurized, the water came back up the return pipe and … came out in room 127,” Lalley said. “We don’t know why it was valved off that way, but we do know the cause of the flood.”
The building on West Green houses the Russ College of Engineering and Technology.
Though Lalley said the damages to computer equipment, personal belongings and other office items could cost around $150,000, “We work in large numbers when we try to estimate this stuff,” he said.
The floodwater damaged room 127, which is a computer lab, room 015, which is right below 127 and other rooms adjacent to those two.
“We think most of the computer equipment is salvageable,” he said.
Room 127 will be closed until Friday, but all classrooms are expected to be open Monday, said Luanne Bowman, Russ College chief financial and administrative officer.
“They’re not gonna really notice there’s a problem by Monday,” Bowman said.
About eight classes were scheduled in 127 between Thursday and Friday.
“There was a lot of water that came through the ceiling,” Bowman said. “I can tell you that.”
Since the malfunction, plumbing and cold water has been restored to Stocker. Bowman said Facilities “had a great response to a terrible situation.”
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Matt Brenner, a freshman studying computer engineering, was not affected by the flooding.
“I just heard about it,” Brenner said Thursday afternoon. “All my classes were not around it.”
Though cold winter weather likely caused the coil in Stocker Center to freeze, Wednesday’s severe storms were not a factor in the incident.
“We don’t know why one valve was closed and the other was not,” Lalley said. “Had the valve been properly secured, this leak would not have occurred.”
Other university buildings have also experienced flooding this academic year.
On Dec. 31 Porter Hall flooded due to a burst pipe. That flood caused damage to multiple floors and led to mold growth, according to a previous Post article.
“The scope of the flood was much smaller than Porter Hall,” Lalley said.
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