More than 20 classrooms and at least two computer labs in Stocker Center were affected after a sprinkler in the building's attic froze and burst Monday night, Ohio University officials said yesterday.
The burst was the result of the cold temperatures and extra moisture accumulation in a system designed to be a dry system
said Mick Harris, director of maintenance and operations.
The sprinkler burst around 7:30 p.m., said Shawn Ostermann, chair of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, adding that Facilities Management is still assessing the cost of the damage.
A Facilities Management team fixed the break within half an hour, but not before hundreds of gallons of water leaked through all four of the building's floors, Harris said.
A 12-member team worked until 1 a.m. using vacuums, dehumidifiers and fans to clean up the water, Ostermann said.
Although water leaked into the fourth floor computer lab, only one of the lab's servers is not working properly, Harris said.
The second floor PC lab's printers were not working properly because of the water, said Robert Williams, a mechanical engineering faculty member.
All the mechanical engineering equipment in the building is unharmed, Dean of Engineering and Technology Dennis Irwin said. We were really lucky in that the water came down the stairwells. Although some of our computers and offices were damaged there doesn't seem to be any permanent damages he said.
No classes were cancelled because of the sprinkler but the fourth floor computer lab was closed yesterday.
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Emily Hubbell
