Pipes burst in Olds Residence

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Pipes burst in Olds Residence
Water pipes burst in Olds Residence 
Courtesy | Hillsdale College

Water gushed into the basement of Olds Residence at 2 a.m. on Aug. 30.

“Water was pouring under the door to the boiler room,” freshman Magdalena Shaltanis said after discovering the leak during a phone call.

By the time Shaltanis retrieved a resident assistant for help, the water at the base of the stairs had risen approximately 1-inch deep. On-call maintenance arrived and shut off the water, assessing the situation before the arrival of the regular maintenance team.

“There was definitely water accumulating. I don’t think it ever was just standing,” House Director Rachel Marinko said. “The water was draining the whole time, but it was definitely up to a couple of inches.”

“I’m just so thankful for maintenance and how promptly they responded,” Marinko added, noting that the basement contains a storage room in addition to the boilers.

The on-call maintenance team turned off the water before it caused any damage. The regular maintenance team arrived slightly before 7 a.m. 

Freshman Caris Fickenscher said that the water shortage disrupted her morning routine.

“I was going to brush my teeth and I walked out and saw Tammy Fain, the housekeeper of Olds Residence,” she said. “She told me not to use the water, because a pipe had burst early in the morning and there was flooding in the basement. She took me over to the basement and you could hear the gushing water. It sounded like a small waterfall.”

The sound Fickenscher heard resulted from the maintenance team testing a replacement piece for the pipe. Prior to its repair at 12 p.m, the women of Olds Residence relied upon the generosity of the women of Mauck Residence in order to shower and use the restroom.