Ohio University officials are still investigating the cause of an overflow of an unidentified substance that alarmed Adams Hall residents returning to Athens for Winter Quarter.
A build-up of an as-of-yet unknown material caused some sinks on the first and second floors of Adams Hall to overflow the first few days of the quarter, said Harry Wyatt, associate vice president for Facilities.
We believe [the problem] has been handled
he said.
The Department of Safety and Risk Management is analyzing the substance that caused the backup, Wyatt said. The identity of the material is unknown at the moment, but the department is fairly certain that it's not sewage, he added.
What caused the buildup is currently being investigated. Rust has produced a similar material in the pipes of older buildings, but that should not be the problem with Adams Hall, the newest dorm on campus, Wyatt said.
Steven Hryb, a sophomore, mopped up an inch of water that spewed from his Adams Hall sink.
We had a carpet we had to throw out he said.
Other students described an explosion.
A brown-black gunk shot out of the sink, covering the mirror and counter top, said Ryan Wuest, a sophomore studying environmental geography.
It's like an eruption of a volcano out of the sink he added.
Wyatt said he wasn't sure why some sinks overflowed with water while others spewed the unknown material, but that pressure from the use of sinks on the upper floors contributed to the more violent situations.
No outside contractors were needed in the clean up and the only cost to the university was in overtime for maintenance workers, he said.
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Lucas Bechtol
