Hundreds of gallons of water flooded the Knorr Family Dining Room just before midnight Tuesday, filling the lower level of the Grewcock Student Union with 2-3 inches of water.
A sprinkler head burst on the southeast side of the building, said Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. Water began streaming into the gap between the ping-pong tables and the exterior east wall.
Fire alarms sounded and students evacuated the building. The fire department arrived 10-15 minutes after the alarm sounded and shut off the valve and main line while security prevented students from entering the building. Repairmen used a lift to reach the broken sprinkler head and replace it.
Water continued to fall from the ceiling for about one hour and 15 minutes.
“Fortunately the damage does not appear to be too extensive,” Péwé said. “Only minimal water damage to the base coves and the ceiling. Those areas have already been dried. We do need about three days to dry out the concrete slab that was saturated. Only then can we completely clean the carpet.”
Péwé said he hopes to have students back in the Knorr Family Dining Room by Saturday, but that the cleaning and drying professionals think Sunday is more likely.
“It’s not very bad unless it’s in the walls,” said College President Larry Arnn, adding that the carpet might have to be torn out. At this point, however, he believes that both the walls and carpet were not badly damaged. The college will be able to test for damage today after the majority of the water has dried.
Péwé said he thinks the accident was caused by cold temperatures in the ceiling causing the aluminum pipe fittings to swell and pull away from the sprinkler head. He said another pipe was beginning to leak in the same manner. In total, the college replaced four damaged pipe fittings Wednesday.
“We don’t know exactly why it was so cold, but when we took the drop ceiling out and looked at it, it was 25 degrees up there,” Péwé said. “We have to see whether it is an engineering or insulation issue or something else that makes it cold up there.”
At the time of the incident, the temperature outside in Hillsdale was minus 3 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
A damage estimate was unavailable at press time.
Péwé said, however, that damage to tables, booths, carpet, baseboards, and drywall could all play into the total. The college has a $50,000 insurance deductible.
Maintenance and security helped remove furniture from the area, and a carpet cleaning company arrived at 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning to begin drying out the carpet. The grounds crew, meanwhile, helped transport some cafeteria equipment to the Curtiss Memorial Dining Hall, where students will eat until further notice.
“We’re trying as much as we can to keep it business as usual,” said Saga, Inc. General Manager Kevin Kirwan.