Spring Break
Broken water main pipe swamps campus
Corey Hennigan
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: NEWS
A water main break next to the University Union on Wednesday forced students to maneuver around spewing muddy water and the obstruction caused by city repair crews.
Tim Fisher, assistant director of water utilities, said the break was first reported to a repair crew from the water department at 8:30 a.m.
The first phase of repairs started at 9:30 a.m. and was finished by 2 p.m., Fisher said.
The break cut surrounding buildings' water supply between 9:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. in the University Union, Hurley Administration Building and the Business Administration Building, Haubold said. The air conditioning in the Union and the Administration Building was also turned off because of the water-based air conditioner.
As the repair crew was filling the hole, another pipe nearby broke around 2:45 p.m., Glen Haubold, the facilities maintenance director said.
The second round of repairs on the pipes was complete at 4:45 p.m., after the second round of repairs crews felt confident there would be no problems and started filling the hole, Haubold said.
Fisher said the problem was an older 6-inch cast iron pipeline that broke in half, and a hole pierced in another pipe. The break was not a major one.
Haubold said there were so many repair clamps from previous breaks on the pipe that there was not room for another clamp, so the broken portion of pipe was replaced.
Fisher said that because of the pipe's history of breaking it would need to be replaced, but he did not know when.
Haubold said that the campus parking map shows that Chestnut Street, where the pipe is located, comes in from the information booth and dead ends in front of the Administration Building. The street resumes in front of the Union.
At one time, the street went all the way through, he said. Underneath the sidewalk the water mains, sewers and storm drains belong to the city.
"These pipes have a little history of breakage," he said. "They're cast iron, so I'd say they're at least 40 to 50 years old."
The repair was not too expensive, Fisher said. The only problem repair crews faced was working around the trees to fix the line.
"What's expensive for NT is that the city repairs the pipe, but NT has to pay to replant the grass and trees," Haubold said.
The replacement won't be expensive, he said. Facilities maintenance will just have to fill in the hole and plant some grass.
Haubold said that water mains and pipes bursting is uncommon on campus.
"We haven't had a lot," he said. "We had a pipe burst last summer, but that's because it was so hot."
Tim Fisher, assistant director of water utilities, said the break was first reported to a repair crew from the water department at 8:30 a.m.
The first phase of repairs started at 9:30 a.m. and was finished by 2 p.m., Fisher said.
The break cut surrounding buildings' water supply between 9:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. in the University Union, Hurley Administration Building and the Business Administration Building, Haubold said. The air conditioning in the Union and the Administration Building was also turned off because of the water-based air conditioner.
As the repair crew was filling the hole, another pipe nearby broke around 2:45 p.m., Glen Haubold, the facilities maintenance director said.
The second round of repairs on the pipes was complete at 4:45 p.m., after the second round of repairs crews felt confident there would be no problems and started filling the hole, Haubold said.
Fisher said the problem was an older 6-inch cast iron pipeline that broke in half, and a hole pierced in another pipe. The break was not a major one.
Haubold said there were so many repair clamps from previous breaks on the pipe that there was not room for another clamp, so the broken portion of pipe was replaced.
Fisher said that because of the pipe's history of breaking it would need to be replaced, but he did not know when.
Haubold said that the campus parking map shows that Chestnut Street, where the pipe is located, comes in from the information booth and dead ends in front of the Administration Building. The street resumes in front of the Union.
At one time, the street went all the way through, he said. Underneath the sidewalk the water mains, sewers and storm drains belong to the city.
"These pipes have a little history of breakage," he said. "They're cast iron, so I'd say they're at least 40 to 50 years old."
The repair was not too expensive, Fisher said. The only problem repair crews faced was working around the trees to fix the line.
"What's expensive for NT is that the city repairs the pipe, but NT has to pay to replant the grass and trees," Haubold said.
The replacement won't be expensive, he said. Facilities maintenance will just have to fill in the hole and plant some grass.
Haubold said that water mains and pipes bursting is uncommon on campus.
"We haven't had a lot," he said. "We had a pipe burst last summer, but that's because it was so hot."
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