Most students back in dorms after water main break
Students living in the 19 apartments affected by a water main break at Brigham Young University have now returned from break, and life is back to normal for most.
BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said 19 apartments in 10 Heritage Halls buildings were affected by the flood of water after the water main was broken Nov. 24, but only one or two apartments were seriously affected. She said a closet wall came down inside one of the apartments, and six students have been relocated to Helaman Halls while repairs are made.
Heritage Halls apartments have a kitchen, while Helaman Halls has a dining center, so BYU has provided meal passes for the students who have been relocated. Jenkins said once the repairs are finished, the relocated students can return to their apartments or remain in Helaman Halls for the rest of the semester.SClBA construction crew broke a 20-inch water pipe on Wednesday afternoon, which sent water pouring into 10 of the 24 Heritage Halls buildings. It was turned off by about 4 p.m.
Jenkins said the total cost for the damages is unknown at this point. However, she said more serious damage to property may have been prevented by quick work inside the dorms. She said students and officials were able to move computers and other items out of the way, and damages were low.
“They were able to move very quickly,” she said.
Jenkins said most of the costs associated with the water damage comes from drying carpets, cleaning bedding and other cleanup efforts. She said some mattresses will also have to be replaced, but there was no structural damage to the buildings.
The damaged apartments were in the basements of the buildings. Windows in two buildings were broken out when the water filled the window wells. Jenkins said in many cases, the river of water just flowed through the buildings, but did little damage.
Students were without water Wednesday afternoon after the city shut off the water, but a water truck brought in bottled water and the water was back on by the next morning, Jenkins said.
Provo public works director Merril Bingham said city crews shut off the water and stayed through the night to watch over repairs. Salt and sand were put on the roads to combat any ice, and Bingham said he did not know of any car accidents or people slipping on the ice. Bingham said the water flowed down 700 East to about Center Street and onto some side streets, keeping city crews busy putting the salt down.
Bingham said punctures like this one usually split the pipe, and this pipe may have had a four-to-five-foot split in it, though he has not inspected the pipe yet. He said the broken pipe was the same kind as the one involved in a water break on 300 South in Provo a few months ago. Though the pipes are somewhat old, Bingham said they are in great condition, and neither break was due to age. The 300 South break was due to a plug that blew out, he said.
Bingham said he believes the construction company will pay for BYU’s costs and the costs the city incurred, but the city has not had any formal discussions with the company yet.
